IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Wait, wait, wait, start over," Miko said. "What happened?"
"Nova's brother died," Jack replied patiently. "Last night. Ratchet's asking my mom if Nova can stay at our house for a little while."
"June's coming here?!" Miko asked in a panic, clutching her hair in her hands. "Quick, we've got to hide all of our stuff!"
"What do you mean?" Raf asked. "All we've got is the TV."
"Yeah, but you never know when she might want to put an axe through it," Miko said sinisterly. "She's totally crazy."
"O-kay," Jack said hesitantly. "Ratchet thinks the best thing for Nova is to be around other people. She's always around the 'Bots, and this'll prepare her for the outside world again." He rubbed his head. "Well, sorta."
"Well, what about Optimus?" Miko demanded, her hands on her hips.
"What about him?"
"Don't tell me he actually agreed to this."
"I don't think he had a choice," Jack said. "Ratchet seemed pretty mad at him the other night—"
"For letting Dreadwing escape and letting Nova go out alone," Raf added.
"—Yeah, he seemed angry that Optimus couldn't prevent Nova from having to go through this, or something," Jack continued. "So he's asking my mom to come over even if Optimus doesn't like it."
"But Optimus is her guardian," Miko said exasperatedly. "Shouldn't he at least have a choice, even if Nova doesn't?"
"Not the way Ratchet sees it," Raf replied. "He wants Nova to be with her species, so he's making sure Optimus is willing to give her up for the day. Plus," he said, turning to Jack, "Your mom keeps bugging the Bots about it."
"What?" Miko asked lowly, her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at Jack. "What does he mean?"
"Uh, yeah," Jack said sheepishly. "Mom's been calling the base at least twice every week demanding that Nova take a break from the Bots. She's getting mad about it."
"Well, we aren't gonna let her," Miko said, punching a determined fist into her open palm. "We'll make sure Nova stays here if she wants to, and if June doesn't like that, then she can just—"
"It's okay, Miko," a soft voice said. "You don't have to do that."
"Nova!" Miko whirled around and pounced on the half-spark eagerly. "What happened?"
"Are you okay?" Raf asked, seeing Nova's red, puffy face. "Do you want us to go get—"
"No, Raf," Nova said, holding up a hand. "I'm fine. I just came down here to tell you what Ratchet decided. But it seems like you already know."
"You're fraggin' right, we know!" Miko said, her Cybertronian swear word making the others gasp. "Yeah, I said it, and we aren't going to let them do this to you!"
"Miko," sighed Nova, rubbing her cheek wearily. "I already agreed to it. I told Optimus I'd go with June for today. Ratchet's calling her right now."
"You did what?" Miko's angered face took on a look of disbelief. "Are you crazy?"
"I — I don't think so," the half-spark replied, shooting a confused glance at Jack. "I'll be going home with her this afternoon, so I won't be here to meet you guys after school."
"Oh," Miko said dejectedly. Then, her eyes took on a look of panic. "Wait! Who'll be here to babysit us if the Bots are out?"
"You can do that yourselves," Nova said, placing a consoling hand on her friend's shoulder. "You don't need me. Besides, it's only for a night. I'll be back tomorrow. Probably."
"Yeah, but with Helicopter Mom, you never know," Miko grumbled. "We might as well have sent you off to a prison somewhere."
"Oh, and speaking of prison," Jack said suddenly, looking at his watch, "Don't we have to get to school?"
"Yeah," Raf sighed. "I guess we do."
They all looked at Nova sadly, and she at them.
"Good luck," Jack said.
"You'll need it," Miko added.
Nova smiled at all three of them. "Thanks, guys."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Airachnid approached her commander with an air of humble servitude and knelt before his mighty form.
"If it pleases you, Lord Megatron," she began, "Once Soundwave discovers a means of decoding the remainder of the Iacon database, as we know he will, I would suggest the deployment of an underutilized asset."
Megatron spoke to the spider without turning to face her. "And what asset would that be, Airachnid?"
"I believe that my superior tracking skills would expedite your quest to recover the remaining relics," Airachnid said, her voice dripping with servility.
"Noted."
Her objective complete, Airachnid rose to her feet. "You are a gracious audience, My Lord."
The door to the bridge of the warship slid shut behind her as Megatron turned to his loyal communications officer.
"Soundwave, remind me of her trustworthiness."
The Communications Officer was all too willing to oblige. Soundwave's screen face lit up with an audio recording of Airachnid's words he had taken during the rising of Unicron, when Megatron had been absent from the ship.
"I believe we must consider the possibility of a future without Megatron."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Megatron's face fizzled to life on one of the warship's monitor screens within Dreadwing's personal quarters. The Seeker was cleaning one of his weapons when his master called his name from the screen.
"Dreadwing."
If he was surprised to be receiving a private transmission from his lord and master, Dreadwing did not show it.
"I am at your beck and call, Lord Megatron," he replied, laying the weapon aside.
"I wish to entrust you with a task I would normally reserve for myself," Megatron said, his voice taking on an ominous tone. "That is, if you wish to prove yourself worthy of becoming my first lieutenant."
"That post belongs to Airachnid," Dreadwing replied. Everyone knew that since Starscream had left, Airachnid had become the choice for second-in-command of the warship.
"She will be missed."
Dreadwing realized what Megatron was asking. The time had come for Airachnid's termination.
"And I suggest you bring backup," Megatron added before signing off. "She can be a handful, especially when cornered."
"As you command, my lord," Dreadwing replied, bowing respectfully. His master's will would be done, no matter what he had to do to execute it.
As the potential candidate for SIC, Dreadwing would follow his orders to his last Spark-pulses.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Nova sat before the bundle in the medical bay, her body covered by her armor.
The corpse before her was wrapped in sterilized white cloths and separated from her by a glass screen. The tears did not fall from her cheeks, however. This time, at the sight of her brother, they only welled up in her eyes and stung and stayed, lingering in her vision, clouding the world, and placing everything behind a watery film.
Waking up that morning, she had almost been able to convince herself that her brother was alive, that the previous day had all been a terrible dream, and that she still had a chance to make everything right.
Faced with the cold shroud, she had to come to terms with the fact that there was no way this could be true.
"Coby," she whispered, leaning her head against the glass. "I wish it had been me."
Coby gave no answer. How could he? He had been killed by the one who loved him the most.
Nova looked at her hands, covered in cold armor still flecked with blue, and she understood exactly how enormous her guilt was.
You've got a murderer's hands.
"Nova?" A voice came from behind her.
She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look up at Optimus. "Yes?"
"June is on her way." He looked at her doubtfully. "Are you prepared to stay with her?"
Nova glanced down at the floor, then looked at her brother's body silently.
Optimus took a knee next to her. "Your brother will be safe here until a decision is made," he said. "I know human burial processes can differ from ours."
Nova sighed. "That's not what I'm worried about."
Optimus looked down at her. "Are you all right?"
"Take a flying guess."
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Optimus' face contorting slightly, as though her words hurt him.
"It is good to grieve those you have lost," he said at last. "I only hope that this departure from the team does not affect you for the worse."
Nova looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
Optimus glanced away. "In times of war, soldiers who have lost close friends— brothers —tend to place most of the guilt upon themselves, and separation from their unit in times of grief often worsens their condition."
"I wonder why," Nova whispered.
"Taking responsibility for your actions is one thing, Nova," Optimus said. "But I do not want you to place blame on yourself."
"Are you trying to tell me that I did the right thing in killing him?" Nova asked vehemently.
"In war, the 'right thing' often eludes us," Optimus gently responded. "But I know that in this, you acted out of self-defense."
"I killed my own brother, Optimus!" Nova cried out, clenching her fist on the smooth glass. Her whole body felt as cold as death. "How could I ever … how could any of you ever…"
"Forgive you?"
She looked at the bundle in sorrow. "Yes."
Optimus looked, too. Then, he sat beside the half-spark and opened his hand to her. "Come here."
Nova turned away from the glass tomb to bury her face in her guardian's hand, wrapping her arms around as many of her fingers as she could.
"You must always remember how much you are worth to me," Optimus said. "And no matter how dark the time; no matter how hopeless the moment, I will always protect you. I know your brother does not hold you responsible any more than I do."
Nova pressed her face into the warm metal of his hands and said nothing, the choking lump in her throat growing more painful by the second.
"Then why are you sending me away?"
Optimus did not respond for a few seconds.
"It is my belief that, as a human and a mother, June is more equipped to assist you during this time. She can help you in ways I cannot. We are not sending you away."
He leaned closer, prompting her to look at his face.
"Do you understand?" Optimus asked.
The half-spark nodded, but she could not speak. She didn't need to.
"Will you be alright?"
She shook her head. "Mm-m."
Optimus smiled slightly. "I know. Will you be alright with June?"
Nova sniffed as she raised her head. "I've survived worse than June Darby before."
"I … suppose you have," agreed the Prime.
The sound of an engine made them break off their conversation as June's car drove into the base, stopping over the Autobot symbol in the center of the floor.
"Nova, hi!" June Darby stepped out, her nurse's uniform smooth and clean as usual, and ran to Nova to pull her into a tight hug.
Stiffening, Nova choked in surprise, and her face settled into a disgruntled scowl as June released her and held her out at arm's length, the tears rolling down her face.
"Oh, honey, I heard about what happened," she sniffed, adjusting her modest purse. "Are you doing okay? Is there anything you need? I've got some snacks in the car—"
"No, thanks," Nova interrupted. "I'm fine."
June's eyes softened, and she wiped away her tears to smile at her gently. "Well, I managed to get off my shift early, and I came to pick you up."
Her eyes flitted to the imposing figure of Optimus kneeling next to them. "Will that be a problem?"
"No," replied Optimus, getting to his feet and looking down at them. "You may leave whenever you wish."
"I would also like to have a word alone with her," June said tersely. "If that isn't a problem, either."
"Of course," Optimus nodded, walking away to join the medic at the Groundbridge controls.
Once he had gone, June seemed to break down and began to cry afresh, pulling Nova in for another hug.
Nova blinked in confusion, resting her hand on the woman's back as she desperately tried to remember how normal people worked.
"Um, Miss June?" Nova asked, uncertain how to respond. "I didn't know you would be so … sad about Coby. I'm … I'm sorry this is so hard for you."
"Hard for me ?" June pulled Nova closer. "Oh, sweetie, I was crying because this is hard for you. No one should ever have to lose a family member."
She took Nova's hands in hers and smiled at her gently, the tears streaming down her face. "You know, Jack tells me about you all the time. He always talks about how brave you are and how you're always willing to help out, and I get so worried about you, trying to live up here alone."
June sniffled, dabbing a handkerchief to her nose. "I figured you might finally need someone around to take care of you for once."
Nova's brow crinkled in confusion. She didn't live up here alone. And Optimus took care of her.
Perhaps mistaking her silence for grief, June placed a warm hand on Nova's shoulder. "I hate how little I get to see you and make sure you're safe. You know I can never tell if you're okay when you're hanging around…" her voice changed to a tone of disgust. "…this place."
Nova winced. She knew where this conversation was heading.
June wiped her eyes again and smiled a little.
"Well," she sighed briskly. "Are you ready to go?"
"Um, about that," Nova said hesitantly, looking back at her guardian. "I really don't know how long I'll be able to stay at your house, Miss June. The Autobots need me here, and—"
"What do you mean, they need you here?" June asked.
"Well, we've been dealing with more Decepticon attacks and Energon shortages lately, and I usually help with—"
"This is exactly what I mean," June interrupted with a frown. "Someone your age should not be dealing with these kinds of problems. Battle strategies and wartime rations are not what a young lady should be worrying about. You need to be raised in a real home," she said, clasping her hands. "Not some kind of classified military base with alien robots."
Nova saw Optimus raise his head.
"Listen, Miss June, I didn't want a confrontation," she began.
"No, Nova, you listen to me!" June said firmly. "They don't know about human needs. They can't take care of you. They don't even know how to care for regular children, much less someone like you!"
She placed a hand on Nova's cheek. "They aren't your family. You need to spend more of your life with real people. You have to get away from these irresponsible soldiers who stick you in danger every opportunity they get!"
Every word she flung from her lips made Nova feel like she was stabbed in the heart.
"But they are my family," she protested weakly. "And they didn't put me in any danger-"
"Well, they might as well have," June retorted, darting a glare at the surprised Optimus. "Goodness knows they do it often enough. And no matter what they say, they are not family. They will never be family, Nova. That just isn't possible."
Nova bowed her head in silence.
With this last statement, June sighed, ran a hand through her dark hair, and looked down at her watch. "Look, we can talk about this at home, okay? I shouldn't have come on like that. I just get so worried about you…"
Nova nodded listlessly. She allowed herself to be led to the car, allowed the door to slam shut on her emotionless face, and allowed the engine to start. She did not snap from her trance until they were leaving the base, driving through the tunnel, without the Groundbridge, without even saying goodbye.
The half-spark suddenly pressed her face desperately against the side window, looking back. Optimus was watching the car leave, his tall form dwindling and disappearing as the tunnel swallowed them up, and then they were gone.
And she didn't know if she was coming back.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Am I the only one here who considers this to be overkill on Lord Megatron's part?" Airachnid asked as the Decepticons tramped through the darkened forest. "I mean, dispatching two of his most proficient warriors to track down one unconfirmed Energon spike?"
"Megatron knows me and Dreadwing here will get the job done," Breakdown said firmly, his one good eye glowing in the dark, his other one dimmed by his eyepatch.
"Actually, I was referring to Dreadwing and myself," Airachnid said, with poison in her voice.
Breakdown growled and cracked his knuckles, approaching the spider-like femme with the intent of removing a few of her legs, but Dreadwing stopped him with a word.
"Breakdown, remain on task," he commanded. "This must be a unified effort."
"Indeed, Breakdown," Airachnid said sweetly, winking at him. "I know we've never seen eyes to eye , but that doesn't mean we can't patch things up."
"Rrrgh! That's it!" Breakdown roared, charging at the femme with his hammer outstretched.
Dreadwing reached out to stop him. "Don't!"
Breakdown found a sticky web plastered to his face and grunted, trying to rip it off with his fingers. Dreadwing whipped out his machine gun from its holder on his back and opened fire upon the spider-like fembot as Airachnid's spider-like appendages carried her from tree to tree, leaping just out of range of Dreadwing's attacks as Breakdown grunted in the dirt.
Swinging her body to and fro between the trees, Airachnid braced herself and fired a well-placed web around Dreadwing and his machine gun, but one of his lasers had knocked her off balance.
The spider robot fell from her lofty height with a grunt and hit the ground loudly. With one of her legs broken off at the tip, Airachnid lifted herself up and leapt away into the forest. Breakdown, roaring, gave immediate chase with his shoulder cannon.
"Breakdown, don't be a fool," Dreadwing shouted, his arms and legs stuck to the trunk. "Release me!"
Breakdown took no heed, charging into the forest nevertheless. And that was the last time Dreadwing ever saw Breakdown alive.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
As he leaped over a rock in his wild pursuit, Breakdown came across a pool of freshly spilled Energon glowing in the dirt. He inspected it briefly and stood up to survey his surroundings in the night.
Suddenly, above him in the trees, Breakdown heard the swish of a nimble form flying through the air from trunk to trunk. He whirled around and chased after Airachnid immediately, following the trail of spilled Energon and pools of glowing matter along the way. Eventually, he came upon the groaning femme, up against a rock in her fatigue, limp and helpless. She backed away in terror at the sight of him.
"Heh," he chuckled, raising his hammer. "Easy prey."
He lifted his arm into the air to deliver the killing blow, but found himself caught on a strand of indestructible webbing strung over his head, rendering him helpless.
"Rrrgh! Rraugh!" Breakdown strained, trying to break free of the webbing, but he could not move or escape, and Airachnid then revealed how helpless she really was.
With a truly evil smile adorning her face, she lifted her razor-sharp legs and launched them at her attacker, effectively ending his life. His shouts of pain echoed through the forest as his Spark was ripped out of its casing.
And Breakdown ceased to be.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Meanwhile, Dreadwing strained at the webbing binding him to the tree, grunting as he tried to pull himself free. His strength did nothing, and he knew it was only a matter of time before that vengeful femme could return for him. The forest around him was eerily silent. He did not like it.
"Breakdown, what is your status?" Dreadwing demanded into his comm-link. "Breakdown!"
The eerie silence continued.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Breakdown's severed arm dangled from the webbing, creaking in the night wind. Suddenly, a light flashed onto the surface of dull metal, and the beam traveled down from the severed servo to the miscellaneous parts of Breakdown, his body completely beheaded and dismembered.
The man holding the light, a MECH worker in a dark uniform, lifted a radio to his mask and spoke into the walkie-talkie.
"MECH 1 to Silas. Our maneuvers have yielded unexpected results," he said, roving around with the searchlight, alighting upon Breakdown's head, frozen in a deathly scream. "And a familiar face."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"So, what's the first thing you want to do when we get home?" June asked brightly, looking up into the overhead mirror at Nova in the backseat. "I can make us some nutritious vegan non-chocolate chip cookies while we talk about the … funeral and stuff. I know a snack can usually be helpful when planning these things."
Nova looked at her wearily and shook her head. "No, thanks. I'd rather wait to talk about the funeral until the morning."
"We can't talk about the funeral in the morning, sweetie. I've got the day shift again, and you have to go to school."
Nova nearly jumped out of her seatbelt. "What?!"
"That's right," June said kindly, looking back at her. "I've enrolled you as a shadowing student where Jack goes, so he can show you around. They won't mind a late visitor, and even though you've been out of school for a while, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."
Nova blinked and kept opening her mouth and shutting it again, like a gasping fish that had been forcibly yanked from the sea. "I — I —"
"Oh, you don't need to thank me, Nova," June said. "We can talk about the funeral tonight, and then we'll finish up after you come back from school, okay? I know it's a little sudden, pushing you into this so soon, but it'll be good for you, I promise."
She turned on her blinker and went down a quiet neighborhood road. "With what you're going through, you need other people — other kids — to help you process what happened instead of just sitting and moping at home all day. I can't believe Optimus didn't send you to school before. I thought he knew about our rules for proper education."
The half-spark couldn't believe her ears. Optimus had known better than to expose her to other children.
Nova gulped, and her face was deathly white. "C-can we just go home, please, and figure all this out later?"
Her voice was barely audible, but June had good ears.
"Of course, honey. You've been through a lot, and you need some rest. And you just tell me if there's anything you need."
Nova looked out the window and saw her own frightened reflection gazing back.
I need to get out of here!
"Here we are," June said, pulling into the driveway. "Our house."
Nova looked at it. It was a … nice house, she supposed. Small and plain, but nice.
Morosely, Nova unbuckled her seatbelt and slid out of the car. She wondered how much of this day with their family would remind her of what she couldn't have.
"You can put your stuff inside on the table," June said, unlocking the door. "We can sort it out later."
"Stuff?" Nova looked down at the tiny satchel of things Ratchet had made up for her. He said these were the necessities for a night's stay, so she had accepted it, but she had no "stuff" of her own.
"June, all I own is my clothes," Nova said.
"That's fine, sweetie. You just go on inside, and I'll start making supper."
Nova stepped over the threshold with a strange feeling in her stomach. This was the first time she had entered a human home since she could remember.
Suddenly conscientious of her appearance, she removed her armor quickly. Humans probably didn't allow armor indoors.
As she closed the door behind her, Nova's eyes alighted on each of the pictures lining the entrance hallway, all of them containing smiling faces and pretty scenes, all bathed in the soft light above the door. With a sense of wonder, Nova reached out to touch the frames as if they could disappear at any moment.
It was such an ordinary house, made for nice, ordinary people.
"Come on inside," June called from the living room ahead.
Nova shut the door behind her and ventured out of the hallway as timidly as a mouse.
"Is this okay?" Nova asked. "What do I do?"
"Bring your stuff to the couch, and we'll get you settled in Jack's room."
Nova's eyes widened. "Do you think I could sleep somewhere else tonight? If you give me a sheet, I should be fine. I can sleep on the couch."
June's brow wrinkled. "Are you sure? You know, Jack could—"
"No, really," Nova said, giving a sheepish smile. "Actually, the couch sounds great. That's where I sleep back at the base, anyway."
"Well, I suppose it's all right if that's what you want," June relented with a frown. "What are the Autobots thinking, having you sleep on the couch every day? You could get spinal problems later in life."
"Um…" Nova tried to move the subject away from the Autobots. "Miss June, where is Jack? I thought school would be over by now."
She winced when she heard June's answer.
"Oh, he's probably still at the base," June said, pulling out her cellphone. "Thanks for reminding me; I'll give him a call. He's not supposed to be out this late. There is such a thing as a curfew."
"N-no, I didn't mean for you to call—" Nova began, but June was already dialing.
In the resulting silence, the nurse tapped her foot impatiently, and after a moment, the line picked up.
"Hey, it's Jack," the voicemail recording said. "I can't answer, 'cause I'm probably out saving the world right now."
June left a message.
"Young man, you know you aren't supposed to be out this late. The instant you get this message, you come back home immediately or run the risk of me grounding you for a year."
She snapped the phone shut, looked at Nova, and sighed. "I'm sorry, honey, I guess we'll just have to make do without him."
Nova looked down at the ground. "I understand."
Her eyes brimming with sympathy, June placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, sweetie, but don't worry. Jack will be home soon."
Nova nodded, but Jack's absence was not the source of her misery. Jack was there, and she was here. He was spending time with his guardian right now when Nova couldn't even see hers…
The half-spark clenched her fists. It was going to be a long night.
"Come into the kitchen, and you can help me make food, honey," June said, lifting Nova's chin.
Nova frowned. Only Optimus lifted her chin like that.
She jerked her head away. "I'm not very hungry."
"Oh, well, alright," June said. "Do you want to talk about it while I make something?"
Nova sighed. If Optimus were here, he would have told her to make the best of it and be courteous. Besides, maybe if she acted politely, she might be allowed to go home sooner.
So, she shoved back her gut reaction and nodded. "That might be nice."
They walked into the kitchen, and Nova sat next to the counter while June Darby rattled some pans around.
"So, what would make you feel better? How about you tell me about the base," June said. "What makes you enjoy being over there so much?"
"I have friends there," Nova said. "The kids. Ratchet. Bulkhead and Bee and Arcee, and especially Optimus. And I always like to help out. They sometimes let me tag along on their missions, and I learn so much from Optimus when he's not busy."
She sighed. He had been very busy lately.
"And Ratchet's been teaching me about Cybertronian science," she continued. "I don't really understand most of it, but he makes it interesting. And Bumblebee likes to tell me stories about races, scouting, and video games."
Nova began to smile as she got going. "And Bulkhead, wow, he can name every Japanese kaiju movie ever made, and he's great to talk with about anything. He remembers a lot of war stories, and he loves watching reruns with Miko…"
June remained silent though Nova's description of each team member, but when the half-spark had finished telling her about scouting for Energon in the forest, she decided to say something.
"Sweetheart, I don't think a girl your age should be so … so involved like this. It's not safe."
Nova looked at her in a stupor for a moment. Was she serious?
"Not safe?" Nova asked incredulously. She was certain June was joking. "Since when has my life ever been safe?"
"Never." June flicked on the stove. "Which is exactly my point. You should worry about school, and grades, and getting a job or a boyfriend. You should have a normal life."
"Thanks, June, but I can't have a normal life," said Nova, her momentary happiness fading away. "I don't think a normal life was ever mine to live."
"It can be. I'm enrolling you in school next week. You can take classes with Jack."
"No," Nova said, trying to be firm. "No school. Please. I can't live that way. I won't be imprisoned again."
"It's not prison, kiddo. It's the law. You're going to school."
Nova let out a long sigh and leaned against the counter wearily. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Because I have to take responsibility for you. Until we find you a legal guardian—"
"I have Optimus."
"He's not a legal guardian."
"And I'm not a normal human being!" Nova cried.
Her outburst plunged the room into silence for a minute. Eventually, June opened the fridge and rummaged around in it without saying a word, but her body emanated disapproval.
Nova sighed. "June, I'm a half-alien cyborg. According to all official records, I don't exist. Every government in the world would be happy to get their hands on my armor and weapons. I'm different," she said. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"Everyone is different, Nova."
"But I'm not a good different," Nova protested. "I'm not the fun, sweet, quirky kind of different you're talking about. I'm scientifically different. I'm … not a real human anymore."
"But why are the Autobots so special?" June asked. "Why can't you spend time with your own race? With people your own age — people your own species?"
"Because my own species tried to turn me into a super weapon," Nova fired back. "But Optimus took care of me."
"So, what, you hate Earth?" June asked. "You just brand the entire planet as a threat because of what happened to you?"
"I don't hate Earth," Nova said, "I want to protect it. That's what the Autobots are doing."
"Why do they need you?"
"They … don't," Nova admitted, her eyes downcast. "They don't need me at all. But I need them."
She raised her head, her jaw set. "And I've seen what they're willing to go through for the rest of us, even though no one sees their sacrifice. I can't just stand by and watch them throw everything away for me. I have to help."
"You shouldn't have to protect a planet with eight billion people on it."
"I don't have to do anything. I chose to do this."
"You can't do it, though," June argued. "Not by yourself."
"Exactly!" Nova cried, almost shouting. "That's why I need the Autobots! That's why we all do!"
June sighed and turned to Nova wearily, as if she was trying to get her to see something she couldn't possibly understand.
"They brought their war here, and it's their responsibility to get it away from here. Not ours," she pointed to Nova. "And not yours."
After a pause, Nova sighed.
"Optimus taught me to have the courage to do what's right," she said. "I might not be as strong as he is, but I think it's right to use my abilities to help the Autobots protect the Earth. I can't do that by sitting around and living a normal life."
"But someone human has to take responsibility for you—"
"June," Nova interrupted. "I appreciate that you care enough to protect me — believe me, it's been a long time since any human ever did. I'm very glad to have friends. And I admit that I do need to get better at associating with people from my own planet. But I don't feel safe here. I -"
She broke off, rubbing her face. "I have people after me. Things who want to hurt me. Things I can't fight on my own. You were kidnapped by MECH once – don't you know what that feels like?"
June Darby fell into silence.
The stove top beeped an alert.
Letting out a long sigh, Nova got up from the counter and looked at her. "It's been a long day. May I go to bed now?"
"We haven't talked about the funeral for Coby yet."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, you have school," June said, turning back to the stove.
Nova winced. "I have no choice?"
"Nope. We can talk about the funeral after school if you want. Now, I suggest you get a good night's rest. You have to wake up at seven."
Nova left the kitchen and switched off the lights in the living room, unfolding the simple cotton blanket left for her and stretching out on the couch. She pulled the covers up to her chin and shut her eyes, blocking out the sound of June Darby rattling pans in the next room by thinking about the Autobots and the children. She wondered what they were doing right now, while she was locked up in this prison.
Don't think of it as a prison, she told herself. Think of it as … a vacation. I'm locked up on vacation.
Her brow creased slightly. This was not going to work.
She forced her eyes to remain closed as she pictured each of the Autobots in her mind, thinking about their cares and joys, worries and hopes, which only hurt more. Her thoughts eventually drifted to Coby.
Coby. Why did you have to leave me now?
A tear trickled down her cheek, and silently, Nova began to cry, but there was no one to wipe her tears away.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Starscream groped for the next handhold in the rock face, grunting and straining as he kept his eyes on the prize — a shard of glowing blue Energon, the crystalline form sticking out of the smooth rock like a little star above his head.
Starscream was not interested in beauty at the moment. The wonder and curiosity he had had as a scientist was long gone, he told himself. What mattered now was survival. Since he had deserted the Decepticons in favor of independence, and recently lost his T-cog, Starscream had been forced to walk alone. As if that wasn't inglorious enough already, he had also been forced to scrounge for scraps of Energon like some sort of common glitch-mouse.
"This is idiotic," he muttered to himself. "How is it that I have been reduced to seeking Energon scraps, merely to survive?"
He plucked the shard of Energon out of the rock face, and held it before his eyes disgustedly. This was barely enough to power himself for a few more astro-minutes.
As he wretchedly inspected the tiny crystal, he felt himself slipping, and let out a cry as he crashed ungracefully to the ground.
Groaning, he sat upright and looked at the tiny fragment of Energon in his fingertips once again, letting out a hopeless sigh as he leaned against the rock face. There was truly no way this life could be any worse.
Then, his audio receptors picked up a thumping noise further into the cave from where he sat, followed by a guttural growling and insect-like chittering. It was close.
Curious, Starscream got to his feet and walked around the next corner to investigate. What he saw was unexpected, even for him. In all his foot-bound travels on this miserable planet, he had not seen anything like this.
"An Insecticon? On Earth?" Starscream muttered to himself, observing the enormous Cybertronian beast. It was almost taller than Megatron. It sported mandibles on its gruesome, insect-deformed faceplate, and its heavy, fearsomely clawed hands were scraping aside the boulders in the rock wall.
It was obviously not a creature to be trifled with.
But when the Insecticon pulled out a chunk of Energon crystals larger than Starscream's head, he figured it was time he intervened. Surely this primitive beast would listen to him.
"You there, scavenger," Starscream said, coming out from behind the corner and approaching the beast. "Deliver that Energon to me."
The Insecticon, wonder of wonders, disregarded Starscream, turning away from the skinny flier and continuing its business.
Starscream was angered. How dare this mindless brute show such impertinence? Did it not know who he was?
"You dare turn your back on a superior life form?" Starscream demanded, putting on his most authoritative voice. "I am Commander Starscream!"
With this outburst, Starscream raked his talons across the Insecticon's back, determined to get his point across, but he regretted it immediately.
The Insecticon turned and lashed out at him, and the next thing Starscream knew, aside from his terror at the brute's bloodthirsty roars, was that he was being forced back into a narrow crevice in the wall of rock while the Insecticon groped for him in rage. Starscream scrabbled further into the hole, kicking uselessly at the huge talons which pursued him.
"Fine! Keep the Energon," he shrieked. "I hope you choke on it!"
The Insecticon appeared to be paying him no mind, and for an instant, Starscream wondered with horror if he would survive the night, but then, to his immense surprise, the bug-bot stopped in its tracks and withdrew, pulling its ravenous arms out from the hole. The sweetest sound in the world to Starscream at that moment was the sound of the beast walking away.
Starscream sat there in relief for a moment, then crawled out of the hole and got to his feet. Where was that creature going?
He followed the lumbering oaf through the cave until they came to a large cavern, swept clean by the former mining crew and as quiet as death. Then, Starscream saw what the Insecticon was aiming for.
"Yes, minion, approach me," Airachnid crooned, lounging atop her rock in the center of the cavern. "Obey me."
The Insecticon seemed to be pulled inexorably towards the femme as if some unheard signal had taken over its rather diminutive mind. Its actions moved in sync with the spider as Airachnid voiced her final command.
"Worship me."
After a moment of silence, the subjugated Insecticon knelt before the spider-femme and offered her the crystals of Energon it had in its claws.
"You shouldn't have." Airachnid accepted it graciously.
"WHAT?!" Starscream shrieked. He marched out of his hiding place with indignant fury. "You reject a commander but grovel at the feet of that wretch?!"
The wretch smiled slightly. "Don't get your turbines in a twist. After all, the beast and I are somewhat related. You might even say we are of one mind."
The Insecticon chittered quietly as Starscream faced Airachnid, and the Seeker put his hands on his hips.
"Why are you here?" Starscream demanded. "Decepticons never return to stripped mines."
"You are not the only rogue Decepticon in need of Energon," Airachnid said, gesturing to her severed leg stump.
Starscream smiled. "Was it a run-in with the Autobots, or did Megatron invite you on one of his … field trips?"
"Megatron was otherwise engaged," Airachnid replied, a sinister look gleaming in her eye. "But you should see his lackey."
Smiling at her, Starscream put on his best negotiating face and offered a suggestion. "You know, Airachnid, as fellow outcasts, we should consider putting aside our differences."
He gestured to the Insecticon. "With this creature under your control and at our disposal, we might employ it to terminate Megatron, allowing us to rule the Decepticons."
"Together?" Airachnid asked in disbelief.
Starscream began to pace as he formulated a plan. "We would simply need to lure Megatron here, away from his support systems, so that we might catch him—"
"With his guard down?" Airachnid finished. She looked down at Starscream haughtily. "An intriguing proposal … if ruling the Decepticons or spending any length of time with you were of the slightest interest to me."
Starscream spluttered in shock.
"Of course, you had me at 'terminate Megatron,'" Airachnid continued, rubbing her hands together. "Payback would be … sweet."
Starscream backed away slowly, his hands raised in deference. "However you wish to spin it," he said nervously.
"I would need to ensure my assassin was up to the task," Airachnid continued, gesturing to her Insecticon warrior. "Perhaps … a test run is in order."
"What?!" Starscream cried. He knew exactly where this was headed. "I thought we were partners!"
Airachnid smiled as she gave the order to the Insecticon. "Eviscerate him!"
As the Insecticon approached the Seeker, Starscream's mouth opened in a terrified scream that echoed through the caves.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Nova?"
The half-spark blinked wearily into the light above her head. "Hmm."
"It's time to get ready, sweetie. School starts in an hour."
Nova's eyes popped open, and she jumped awake in a terrible fright before remembering where she was.
"Oh! It's you," she said, sitting up and flipping off the blanket. "Uh … sorry for sleeping in."
"It's okay, honey. I know how much you need rest after everything that's happened."
Nova looked at her in silence for a moment. "Thanks."
"You can take a shower and brush your teeth upstairs." June glanced at her clothes. "Are you sure you want to wear those?"
Nova looked down at her faded blue jeans and her dark red hoodie. "What's wrong with what I have?"
"It's just … it's just very hot in Nevada, hon," June said.
"I don't mind the heat."
"And the clothes are a bit … plain for a teenager, don't you think?"
Nova stared at her. "Why would that be a problem?"
"It isn't. I just thought you'd want to make a good impression, is all."
"I don't care about that," Nova said. "I couldn't care less about what the other children think of me. But please, June," she pleaded, a desperate look in her eyes. "Please don't do this to me."
"I'm doing this for you," June said, her eyebrow raised skeptically. "But I understand your fear of going into a new school. Most teenagers feel that way."
The half-spark stared at her blankly. "But—"
"Nuh-uh." June gripped her firmly by the shoulder, for the half-spark was a little shorter than herself, and steered her toward the bathroom. "No 'buts'. Now, get ready for school."
"B-but," Nova stammered, looking at the simple white tile of the bathroom floor. "But…"
"I said, no 'buts'," June said, thrusting a finger at her. "Get ready."
Nova sighed in resignation. It'll be nice to take a real shower again, I guess.
"Thank you, June."
She shut the door before June could answer and allowed a small smile to come to her lips.
Being a teenager is simple, she thought. Just do whatever you don't want to do with a large amount of griping.
Then, Nova turned her gaze to the mirror.
It had been a long time since she had seen her own reflection.
Surprised, the half-spark narrowed her eyes and peered at herself closely. Her brown braid was rather disheveled, and untidy wisps of hair had come undone around her ears again. Her skin was a little paler than she had expected, and the circles under her eyes were a rather startling development. Her eyes themselves were the same hazel-green she had remembered, but they looked so … sober, so serious. So old.
The more Nova stared at them, the more unnerved she became.
She put a hand to her cheek, tracing the edge of her jaw lightly. For a brief instant, she wondered if the other children would think she looked as odd as she felt.
"I don't care what they think of me," she decided aloud, turning on the sink. "It doesn't matter."
She glanced at herself once more before allowing her metal mask to slide over her face for a second.
It doesn't matter.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Where's Jack?" Nova asked as she came out of the restroom, braiding her hair fluidly.
"He's waiting for you in the garage," June replied. She smiled at Nova's clean face. "You look a lot better!"
Nova's gaze softened a bit as June held up a brown paper sack.
"I packed a lunch for you, sweetheart."
Nova wished she would stop calling her names like that. It felt unnatural and put a twisting feeling in her stomach again. But she firmly grasped the paper sack handed to her, despite her weakening resolve.
"You'd better go," June said. "Can't have you skipping your first day of school."
"Right," Nova replied briskly. Her mind was lost in worry as she made her way out to the garage. She didn't know if she was up for this.
"Oh, before I forget, Nova," June cried after the half-spark. "I work the late shift tonight, so we can talk about the funeral when I get home, but you're going to have to wait up for me."
Nova hesitated at the door, and a hopeful gleam entered her eyes. "Can I go to the base to wait for y—?"
"Of course not!" June replied. "We have you at our house to keep you away from there."
The half-spark sighed, shoulders slumping. It was going to be a long day.
Jack was waiting in the garage, his helmet under his arm and his left hand gripping the handlebars of the sleek, blue motorcycle he always drove.
"Hey, Nova," the motorcycle said, flashing its headlights at her.
Nova frowned.
"I didn't know you were coming," she said to the motorcycle.
"Well, yeah," Jack answered with a smile. "You didn't expect my mom to drop us off, did you?"
Nova smiled back a little, as best she could. "I guess not. Sorry. Where's the school?"
Jack frowned. "Huh?"
"Where's the school, and how long will it take me to walk there?"
Jack shook his head. "You don't need to walk. Mom figured you could ride with us since you have a built-in helmet."
Nova's eyes widened.
"Oh, no, I couldn't ride with you on Arcee," she protested. "I mean, she's your guardian, and-"
"It's okay," Jack said with a smile. "That's just what friends are for, right, Arcee?"
"Not a problem, kid," the motorcycle confirmed. "But we'd better get a move on if you want to make it in time."
Nova closed her eyes for a moment.
"Okay," she relented, swinging her leg over Arcee as she sat behind Jack. Her helmet shifted up and fitted to her face, and she looked awkwardly at the boy's shoulders in front of her. "Um, I'm not sure how I do this."
"Oh, you've got some handles under your seat if you don't wanna do … that," Jack said, twisting to look back at her. "Believe me, I know how you feel. The first time Miko rode with us was the last time that will ever happen. Thought she was gonna break my ribs."
Nova allowed herself to smile again, but she was confused as to why she had to buckle up in a three-point safety system when she rode with Optimus, but on this very small, very unprotected two-wheeled bike, all she had to do to "keep safe" was hang on to a little handle underneath her seat.
Nova glanced down at the pavement directly below her, and the street glowered maliciously back.
"Can we go now?" Nova asked.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Once Jack pulled up to the school, Nova saw a large crowd of students already going in, and the double doors in the front of the brick building were propped open. The chattering and laughter of many people drowned out the noise of Arcee's engine as she puttered to a stop, and a few people waved at Jack as he pulled into the parking lot. The half-spark made sure no one was looking before she ducked behind Jack and removed her helmet quietly.
"Um, what do we do now?" Nova whispered. "How are we supposed to do this?"
"We, uh, we just walk in," Jack said, looking at her in disbelief. She nodded and continued to stare straight at the small school building before her. At the wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look on Nova's face, Jack realized something for the first time.
"Nova, have you ever been in a public school before?"
"No," said she. "Why?"
"Well, because… you don't look like you know what to do at all," Jack said.
"I don't," Nova replied in a monotone voice. "I don't know anything."
Jack raised his eyebrow. "So, let's pretend you do."
"Huh?"
"Follow me," Jack said, hopping off Arcee and grabbing his helmet. "Just act natural, and I'll show you the ropes."
"They have ropes in public school?" Nova swung off the bike and followed behind the boy confusedly.
"Well, only in gym class," Jack chuckled. "You'll be all right here, Arcee?"
The headlights blinked on the motorcycle twice. Jack knew the drill. Arcee would project her hologram driver, Sadie, once the kids went inside, and as soon as the coast was clear, she would head back to base until it was time to pick him up later.
"Look, here comes Miko," Jack said, pointing at the heavy-duty green car that rumbled down the street.
Bulkhead blinked his lights at them as Miko flung off her seatbelt and jumped out of the car.
"Bye, Bulk!" Miko waved at the car as it pulled out. Then she turned to Nova. "Dude! I didn't know June was making you come to school with us."
"Neither did I," Nova murmured.
"You'll be fine," Jack assured her. "None of the students should give you any trouble. Hopefully."
Miko smirked. "And if they do, Nova can put a fist full of her half-spark awesomeness right up their—"
"Hey, guys," a smaller voice said.
They all looked down at Raf.
"Hi," Jack said amiably. "Ready to go in?"
"Sure," Raf said. "What classes does Nova have?"
Jack pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his jeans. "Um, hold on … Mom gave me the schedule."
Nova groaned inwardly. There was a schedule? How long was this school thing going to be?
Nevertheless, they approached the steps to the school leisurely. Nova tried to walk like her friends did, mimicking their slightly slouched postures and passive looks. She knew she just looked stupid.
They seemed to be staring at her.
She nestled deeper into her sweater, wishing Optimus were with her.
"Uh-oh," Raf said, tugging on Nova's arm. "Look out. It's Vince."
"Vince?"
"He's the school tough guy."
"Not for long, he isn't," Miko hissed as the red-haired boy approached them. "Nova's gonna give 'im a few pointers."
"What do you guys think she's gonna do, beat him up?" Jack whispered. "Just be quiet, ignore him, and he'll go away."
Nova tried to see who they were talking about, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of the green-jacketed boy swaggering towards them. "Oh, no."
"S'matter?" Miko asked. "Is it the way he looks?" She snarled a little. "Don't you just want to kick his scrawny little skidplate?"
"I think … I think I already did," Nova said, her face pale.
"What?"
"Darby!" Vince barked, folding his arms and glowering at the group. "I see you brought your freak gang with you again."
Nova yanked her hood up over her face.
"They go to school here, Vince," Jack said. "Is that a problem?"
"It is for me. They're a buncha nerds. And I don't like the look on your face. It bothers me."
"Didn't know I meant that much to you, Vince," replied Jack cooly. "Now, unless you've got a bigger problem here, I suggest you let us go inside. Class is about to start."
Vince snickered. "'Class is about to start,'" he said mockingly. "Gimme a break, Darby."
"We'll give you a few breaks if you don't get the scrap outta here," Miko snapped, edging her way between Jack and the bigger boy. "And believe me, we bring the hurt!"
"Back off, Ching-Chong," Vince sneered, shoving Miko back by her forehead. "I'm only talkin' to Darby. Why don't you go eat noodles or something?"
Miko was fuming. Nova burrowed into her hood.
"Don't talk to her like that, Vince," Jack said firmly.
"Oh yeah?" Vince got up in Jack's face. "What're you gonna do about it?"
"Um, Jack?" Raf interrupted, tugging on the older boy's sleeve. "The bell just rang. We have ten minutes to get to class before—"
"I know," Jack said, refusing to back away from Vince. "But don't worry. We'll get to class without any more trouble, right , Vince?"
"Aww, do you have to listen to your little baby friend now?" Vince rolled his eyes and shoved Jack out of his face. "Whatever, wimp. You're not even worth my time."
He swaggered away, and Nova breathed a sigh of relief.
She gasped a second later when Miko punched her in the arm.
"Dude, what was that?" Miko demanded. "We could have whupped his butt right here!"
Nova shook her head. "I can't, Miko. I've … met Vince before."
The girl raised her eyebrows. "When?"
"A few months ago," she said, skipping the bit about going on a reckless solo mission to save Coby. "I did beat Vince up because he was threatening another kid for his lunch money or something."
"Must have been Hendricks," Jack muttered.
"That is such a middle school move," Miko said, rolling her eyes. "But you beat up the toughest guy in the school! Yeah, man!" She pumped her fist in the air.
"But that means we can't let Vince see her face, or there's gonna be trouble," Jack reminded her.
"Seriously? The whole school should know about this!"
"Speaking of school," Raf cleared his throat and jerked a finger toward the building. "We have to go."
"Right," Jack said. He grabbed the crumpled schedule paper out of his pocket and glanced at the first item on the list. "Nova, you have first period with Raf. Math class."
"I'll take you there," Raf said. And all four of them sprinted up the stairs into the school just as the bells rang.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
An alert pinged on the base's computer screen.
"What is it?" Bulkhead inquired, coming to stand by Ratchet.
"A high-frequency signal," replied the medic. "With an embedded message."
"Again?"
They both knew who it was, but Ratchet opened the transmission and read the messenger's name anyway.
"Starscream." They both stared at the screen as Ratchet read aloud. "'I have obtained information of extreme interest to you. Bring medical kit.'"
"Looks like we're goin' again," Bulkhead sighed. "Wonder which Con scrapped his lousy butt this time."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Starscream groaned and clutched at his mutilated leg in the quiet of the woods, and raised his head slightly as a Groundbridge flared to life a few meters away. His transmission had worked, thank Primus. What had taken those brutish Autobots so long?
The big one, Bulkhead, came out first, his cannons at the ready.
"Clear," he announced, waving the medic forward. Ratchet leaped out of the Groundbridge with his medical kit in hand, his expression calm as usual.
Starscream winced slightly as Ratchet came forward to speak to him.
"Make it fast," said the medic simply. There was not a shred of pity in his gaze.
Starscream didn't waste words. He knew full well that if he failed to give these Autobot buffoons information they liked, he would fail to get repairs.
"It would appear that, like myself, Airachnid has gone rogue," he revealed, as if the information was the most valuable gem of knowledge known to the ancients.
But the accursed medic scoffed. "What's it to us?"
Starscream scrambled for a suitable answer. Anything to get these dimwitted idiots to repair his leg.
"She is planning to retaliate against Meg—eh," He stopped himself from blurting out the truth and settled for something more potent.
"—Man-kind," he finished lamely. "I can provide you with her current location."
"I don't believe you," Ratchet replied.
Tri-curse the medic!
"Why wouldn't you?!" Starscream responded. "I directed you to the location of the Decepticon Spacebridge so you could rescue Orion Pax, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but then you helped MECH steal Bumblebee's t-cog," Bulkhead growled.
Idiot, Starscream thought. The Autobot was too ignorant to know he had not approached those tiny flesh bags until the t-cog had already been stolen.
"So?" Starscream cried, more desperately. "He got it back, didn't he?"
"Hmph," Ratchet grumbled.
To the Seeker's horror, the Autobots turned their backs on him and made a move for their Groundbridge.
Starscream resented being manipulated like this, but in desperate situations like this, he was not above begging to get what he needed.
"I admit!" he cried after them, stumbling to his feet. "I admit, aligning myself with those vile humans was a colossal error in judgment."
Starscream noticed Ratchet's hesitation, and raised his voice to sound more pitiful. It sometimes worked on Megatron, and it was always worth a shot. "But I am alone. I do what I must to survive."
He fell to his knees and groaned loudly. "…But I have paid the price."
With the most dramatic flair and painful pretense he could muster, he made his grand announcement:
"I am now the one missing his t-cog."
At this bit of news, both Ratchet and Bulkhead turned around.
"You're grounded?" Bulkhead demanded in disbelief.
"Thus of little, if any, threat to you," Starscream said, still kneeling on the ground. "But, Airachnid and her Insecticon intend to—"
"An Insecticon?!" Ratchet demanded. "Here?"
"How?" Bulkhead inquired.
"Well, I would have asked," Starscream snapped, his patience wearing thin. "But I was too busy squeezing through a narrow crevice, trying to keep the vermin from chewing my leg off!"
He growled at the memory. "While Airachnid watched."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Nova looked around the hallway timidly. She thought she was supposed to go to the lunchroom, since the bells had rung for the middle of the day, but she had lost track of where Raf and Jack had gone after her English class, and she had no idea where to go.
The children crowding the hallway were busy chatting with one another, leaning against the walls, or staring at their cellphones, completely oblivious to anything else. A select few loners were the only ones who seemed particularly interested in lunch, and were walking or sitting with paper sacks in their hands. Apparently, lunch time was a free-for-all.
Then, she felt a hand clap on her shoulder.
"You the new kid?" a voice asked.
Panicking, Nova whipped around and shot out a fist, connecting with something blunt. The stranger was sent sprawling to the floor, cupping his nose.
"What was that for?!" he demanded, wiping some blood away. "This was a new shirt –"
He looked at her through crooked glasses, and the two suddenly recognized one another.
"You?!"
"You?"
"Um," Nova swallowed. "Hi. How are you."
Ignoring her question, Hendricks scooted away, still trying to stem the blood flow. "What are you doing here? Don't hurt me, please!"
"I'm so sorry!" Nova stepped forward, raising her hands. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."
"You punched me in the nose!"
"I'm sorry, I thought you were trying to-"
"Nurse!" Hendricks blubbered, hauling himself to his feet and stumbling away. "Where's the nurse? I've been hurt!"
His cries were attracting attention. Not bothering to wait for grownups to arrive, Nova turned around and bolted down the hallway, breathing hard. Things were getting out of hand. There were too many people, all looking at her. All trying to see—
Nova wasn't watching where she was going, and almost crashed into someone else as she darted around the corner.
"Ah!"
"Dude, what's the matter? I mean, I'm scary, but not that scary."
"Miko!" Nova cried, relief flooding her veins. "It's you!"
"Yeah, last I checked."
Nova nearly seized the girl by the shoulders. "Where were you?! I've been looking everywhere for someone I know!"
Miko looked confused. "Chillax, dude, I was just getting lunch."
She glanced down at the passing excuse for food splattered on her styrofoam plate. "I mean, if you can call it that."
Nova put a hand to her head, wiping away nervous sweat. "Where are the others?"
"In the cafeteria," Miko replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "It's down the hall."
Noticing her haggard face, Miko peered closely at Nova. "Are you okay? I haven't seen anyone this torqued since Bulk thought there was a Scraplet in his room."
"No, no, I'm fine, I just…" Nova looked around apprehensively, her voice lowering to a furtive whisper. "I'm not used to being around strange people."
"You hang out with space aliens every day," Miko pointed out.
"That's different," Nova protested. "You aren't strangers. Not really. I don't … I just don't like being crowded. I mean, I don't know anybody here, and I have to avoid the people I do know like the plague."
"Well, you can hang out with me," Miko said. "I'll point out the important things for ya."
Nova gazed at Miko as if she were a saint. "You will?"
"Abso-freakin'-lutely!" Miko cried, throwing an arm around Nova's shoulder. "Anything for my bro."
Nova frowned. "But aren't we supposed to eat in the lunchroom?"
"Sure," Miko said. "But the boys told me they lost you after English class, so I offered to pick up the slack, find you, and give you the grand tour."
"Thanks," said Nova. "It's good to have a friend."
Miko saw that her eyes still had that anxious, almost crazed look, as if she was suffering from sensory overload.
"So, what's the problem?" Miko asked as they walked.
"I punched someone in the face," Nova said softly, as if it was a secret.
"Why?"
Nova shook her head. "I thought he was trying to kill me. Now that I think about it, I'm sure he was just trying to be friendly, but he came up behind me and I got scared, and-"
Miko chuckled. "Oh, I get it."
She patted Nova on the shoulder.
"Dude, what you need is a chill pill," Miko said with a smile, dumping her tray in the trash and looping arms with her friend. "Trust me, getting through school will be a lot easier if you just relax."
"I'll try…"
They walked down the hallway, arm-in-arm, and Nova felt relieved to have someone to walk with. It made the hallways seem much smaller.
"See that girl over there?" Miko asked, pointing across Nova's arms. "That's Sierra, and her friend, Cassidy. Jack has the hots for Sierra."
"The hots?" Nova scrunched up her forehead in confusion. "I don't know what that means."
"It means he — ugh," Miko growled in disgust. "Jack likes her."
"Oh," Nova said, her wide eyes turning toward the redhead. "Yes, he's told me about her several times."
"Yeah, he's got it bad," Miko nodded. "Gross, right?"
Nova made a noncommittal noise. She had never understood romance, and judging by her reaction to most of the men she had known thus far, it was likely to remain an utter mystery for a long time.
"Here's the lunchroom," Miko announced, pulling her in through the double doors.
It was even more crowded than the hallways, if possible, and was exponentially louder due to the solid walls and cold tile floors. With the lunch ladies slinging slop in the front line, trash cans filled with the day's reject entrees, and the general sense of barely-contained chaos, it had all the comforts of a prison mess hall.
"There's our nerds," said Miko, pointing to a spot at the end of a long table. Jack and Raf sat at the corner, unpacking their sack lunches deliberately.
Miko dragged the half-spark over to where the boys were sitting and shoved Jack aside. "Move over, dorks, we got a guest of honor here."
"Nova!" Jack smiled at her as she took a seat. "Where were you? We lost track of you after English class."
"I got lost," she admitted, twisting her fingers.
"Where's your lunch, Miko?" Raf asked.
"Tossed it," Miko replied happily. "Fish sticks and expired ketchup aren't my idea of food."
She peered into Raf's lunch bag. It was common knowledge that Raf always brought the best food to school. Though they had several children and a busy schedule, the Esquivel parents took the time to prepare lunch for each kid, usually with a few nice surprises inside.
"Score!" Miko yelled pulling out a pack of cookies. "Can we split?"
"Sure," Raf smiled. "If you share with Nova."
Her mouth already full, Miko offered a cookie to the half-spark. "Mm?"
"No, thanks." Nova put her head in her hands. "I'm not hungry."
The three kids exchanged a look.
Jack nudged her in the shoulder. "What's the matter? You seem kind of down."
Sighing, the half-spark pulled her hood over her head. "I just want to go home."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"The reason for our inability to locate Breakdown's signal is all too clear," Megatron said, pacing back and forth in front of Dreadwing on the bridge of the Nemesis. "But how is it that you were unable to recover his remains?"
Dreadwing's shoulders slumped. He had failed at the one task Megatron had given him. Surely he did not have long to live on this earth. But before the interrogation could continue, Soundwave alerted Megatron from his place at the ship's monitor.
"What is it?" Megatron asked.
Soundwave opened the incoming transmission, and the lines on the screen danced with the waves of Airachnid's voice as she asked a pertinent question.
"Heard from Breakdown lately?" she inquired with sickly sweetness.
"Trace the communication," Megatron ordered. Soundwave immediately set to the task, pinpointing the precise location as Airachnid continued.
"Megatron, truly. You sent simple henchman to terminate a high-ranking officer. I thought you reserved that honor for yourself."
"Is that a challenge?" Megatron demanded angrily.
"An invitation," she replied cooly. "And since Soundwave is, no doubt, tracing this signal, you know where to find me."
The transmission ceased, and the computer detected the signal's source at a certain place on the globe, in South America.
Megatron looked at it once and rose to his full height.
"I'll be back," he said curtly.
"Allow me to accompany you," Dreadwing beseeched. Something was wrong. Airachnid was a traitor, but she was no fool. The sneaking spider would not have challenged Megatron in such a vulnerable state unless she knew she could win.
But Megatron thoroughly squashed Dreadwing's desire. "You already had your chance."
With that, he strode off the bridge, leaving Dreadwing behind to mull over what should be done.
Airachnid had brazenly challenged his leader to a duel, and Dreadwing knew that she would play by her own rules, leading Megatron straight into a trap. No matter what his lord had said, the Seeker knew he had to do something.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"The coordinates Starscream provided are within an abandoned Decepticon mine," Ratchet reported, looking at the signal on the Autobots' monitor.
"Hold on," Arcee said from behind him, a twinge of anger in her voice. "You just fixed him up and sent him on his way?"
"What were we supposed to do?" Bulkhead defended. "Take him back here?"
Arcee just glared at him and Ratchet.
"Not that I wouldn't jump at any chance to put Airachnid down," she said, hate filling her voice.
"But she isn't the only one who's robbed me of a partner."
They all winced. The news of Cliffjumper's murder at the hands of Starscream was all too fresh in their minds, and Arcee had not forgotten Airachnid's termination of Tailgate eons before.
"You weren't there, Arcee," Bulkhead said calmly. "Starscream was weak, defenseless."
"And learning of the Insecticon could prove highly tactical," Ratchet put in matter-of-factly. "Starscream's intel has proved credible in the past."
The two-wheeler scoffed. "Sure, when he wasn't busy stabbing us in the back!"
The authoritative voice of their leader interrupted her harsh statement.
"Without the resources we possessed on Cybertron, we lack ready means of capturing and imprisoning our enemies," Optimus said gravely. "Nonetheless, I do not condone the termination of any defenseless life-form."
He had been in the back, organizing their Energon reserves and wondering how Nova was getting along in school. Today, it had been too quiet in the base for his liking. Now this information provided by Starscream also provided him with a distraction from his thoughts.
Still, his mind wandered. How would Nova interact with the other human children? She had told him about her run-in with Vince a while before. What if the same thing happened again? Of course, normally Optimus trusted her to resolve it with minimal conflict, but the recent event of her brother dying had put her in a state he was still unsure of.
He shouldn't have let Nova go, not without making sure she was fit to be thrust into human culture. Letting her go had been foolish of him, but Ratchet had told him that this was the right thing to do. And June was a responsible adult, he reminded himself. Nova would be cared for.
Optimus only hoped she was holding up. He intended to have a long talk with her when she came back.
If she came back.
His thoughts faltered as he pored over a new possibility. What if Nova wanted to stay with June and the humans? He had never considered that risk before.
"So, what, we're gonna go be pest control now?" Arcee asked, bringing him back to the present. "Is that the kind of thing we do nowadays?"
"If there is indeed an Insecticon on Earth," Optimus replied, "And it is under Airachnid's control, it could very well pose a threat to humans and Cybertronians alike. We must resolve this conflict before it becomes detrimental to anyone's safety, including ours."
The same was true with Nova, he thought, as the other Autobots prepared to roll out. What if her conflict was yet unresolved? And what if he never saw her again?
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The lightning rolled across the sky as Megatron sped through the roiling clouds, his Cybertronian jet-mode shrieking louder than the thunder around him. The lightning crashed within dangerous inches of his metal chassis, but he flew on unafraid as he journeyed to meet the spider's challenge. Airachnid would pay for her treachery, of that he would make certain.
Spotting the cave which Soundwave had located, Megatron shot downward and transformed within the cavernous space, his armor and limbs whirring into place as he got to his feet stoically.
Just before him, the two glowing eyes of Airachnid rose from behind a rock, followed by her streamlined body and lethal, razor-sharp appendages. A femme of her caliber could do serious damage to an ordinary mech.
But Megatron was no ordinary mech.
"You don't waste time," she remarked observantly.
True to her statement, he raised his charged fusion cannon at her head. "Your stay of execution has come to an end!"
Before he could fire, an enormous weight slammed into his back and sent him into the ground. Struggling to get his bearings, Megatron found himself fighting for his life underneath the body of a huge Insecticon.
Though the gladiator had been caught off guard, he mustered his strength and threw the beast into the opposite wall, letting out a growl.
Rolling to its feet, the Insecticon howled in bloodthirsty rage as it stalked a short distance away, glaring at him with a glowing red visor and a snarl of vengeful promise.
What in the Pit was an Insecticon doing here?
Chuckling, Airachnid jumped out of range of the two fighters and perched atop a rocky ledge. "I will leave you two to get acquainted."
Refusing to quail, Megatron returned his focus to the immediate problem. He would deal with this beast, and then he would deal with Airachnid the same way he always dealt with traitors — mercilessly.
He looked the Insecticon in the optics.
"Bow before Megatron," he growled sternly. "Your leader. "
The beast, unheeding, let loose a hideous shriek and launched itself at Megatron, its footsteps shaking the cavern.
Megatron raised his fusion cannon. "I said, 'bow'—"
He was cut off by the beast lunging into his body, digging its sharp claws into his chest and launching him at the opposite wall. Not to be so easily toppled, Megatron landed on his feet and raised his head to glare into the beast's eyes.
Very well, then.
He readied himself, but the Insecticon charged through his defensive stance and grabbed his body in its powerful arms, pinning Megatron against the wall. Megatron struggled in its grip, his rage building as the pedipalps of the Insecticon wiggled closer to his face, its huge, sharpened teeth following just behind.
Lashing out, the warlord shoved the Insecticon back and raised his fusion cannon, blasting it in the chest as the Insecticon fell away with a roar.
It recovered quickly, and in an almost primal rage, the beast transformed head-over-heels into the alt mode of an enormous rhinoceros beetle. Its winged body hurtled toward Megatron with deadly force, its horn thrust toward the gladiator, intending to skewer him alive.
Unafraid, Megatron raised his fusion cannon again, but felt his arm thrown back by a glob of webbing plastered upon it, followed by another web fired from Airachnid's wrists far above.
Megatron glared up at her, but he had no time to retaliate.
The Insecticon took advantage of Megatron's distraction and rammed the warlord up against the far wall, his body hitting the solid rock with a horrible clang as he fell into the beast's waiting clutches, dazed. The Insecticon did not give the Decepticon any time to recover, and launched him upward.
As Megatron hung suspended in midair, the Insecticon lashed out with its deadly claws and sliced a talon into Megatron's shoulder, sending a spout of bright blue Energon into the air.
The warlord began succumbing to gravity, and the Insecticon rose into the air above him on opalescent wings before streaking downward at the speed of a bullet and launching its red lasers into his chest. Megatron hit the ground hard, and the Insecticon landed before him with a fury that shook the walls.
Silence descended as Megatron got to his feet, wiping the spilled Energon from his face and inspecting it briefly, as though he were curious about finding it there.
The Insecticon charged forward once again, counting on Megatron being severely weakened after the numerous attacks inflicted upon him, but the femme and the Insecticon were about to be surprised.
As the Insecticon leaped at him, Megatron swung his arm back and struck out at the beast, sending it flying to the other side of the cave with strength that would have put the proudest warrior to shame.
The Insecticon hit the wall and slowly slid to the ground, incapacitated for a moment, and Airachnid's dark glee quickly gave way to shock as she looked about for a simple escape. If Megatron could best her Insecticon minion, she was surely doomed.
"You and your beast would do well to remember," Megatron roared, "I honed my skills in the pits of Kaon!"
But the Insecticon was not done yet. With another horrible screech, it lumbered to its feet and charged at the warlord for another attempt on his life, but this time, Megatron was ready.
He flung out the blade beneath his fusion cannon, and ran to meet the Insecticon head-on.
The two titans collided in the center of the cave, and the sounds of their mighty struggle echoed through the entire cavern as a viridescent Groundbridge materialized outside.
The Autobots had arrived.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Nova?" Miko waved a hand in front of her friend's listless face. "No-ova?"
She snapped her fingers in Nova's ear. "C'mon, dude, snap out of it."
"Nova," Jack called, tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey, you ok?"
Startled, the half-spark snapped out of her trance. "What?"
"You spaced out," Jack said, a concerned look in his eyes. "Like you didn't even know we were there."
"Oh." Nova shook her head and smiled at them a little, trying to be reassuring. Miko thought it looked like a grimace. "I'm sorry. I'm fine; just a little tired. I lost concentration."
"Yeah, we know," Miko said, rolling her eyes. "The bell just rang for the end of school, and you didn't notice. Do you even know what class you were in last period?"
"Um…" Nova thought for a second. "No."
"Heh. Me neither," concurred Miko, shrugging indifferently. "I just know it was boring."
"It was science class," Raf interrupted. "And the teacher tried to call on you twice, Nova, but you didn't answer."
"Did I get in trouble?" Nova asked.
Raf shook his head. "No. The teacher noticed you were a new student, so she let you sit on your own until class ended."
Nova sighed in relief. "I was afraid I would have to go through detention with Miko on Monday."
Miko squinted at her evilly. "It would have been the most fun you've ever had in school, and you know it."
"Anyway," Jack said, bringing them back to the present. "The Bots shouldn't be back for a few minutes, so we've got some time to kill."
"How 'bout we go outside?" Miko asked. "Cyber-kid here looks like she could use some air."
"Okay," Raf said. "We can always finish our homework out there."
Miko gave him a look. "Homework? Yeah, right."
"That sounds nice," Nova said abruptly, her posture straightening a little. "Let's go outside."
Once the kids emerged into the daylight, the first thing they saw was the crowds of students milling about on the sparse green lawn, untended in the Nevada heat. The second thing they saw was Vince, standing on the steps in front of them, looking directly at Nova.
The scowl on his face could rival Frankenstein.
"You!" he bellowed, marching up the steps and seizing Nova by the sweater. "You're the little punk who knocked me out in an alley!"
Terrified, Nova shoved him back, sending the boy teetering toward the edge of the steps as the kids stepped in.
"Back off, Vince!" Jack shouted. "What's wrong with you?"
By this time, their little confrontation had drawn an audience, and the rest of the students crowded around the bottom of the steps, eager to view the spectacle.
"Don't fight!" Raf pleaded.
"Kick his butt, Nova!" Miko yelled, raising a fist.
Growling, Vince shoved Jack aside and reached for Nova again. Wide-eyed, she backed away, hitting the wall hard, but he seized her sweater and leaned in close, snarling -
"You're gonna pay for making me look bad, you twerp!"
Instantly, armor shot out of Nova's back and slammed around her torso. Glancing down, Vince released her sweater in alarm just before the metal snapped off his fingers.
"What the-?!"
Teeth gritted, Nova raised a gauntleted fist, ready to strike him a blow that would most likely result in a hospital visit, but Raf jumped in front of her and grabbed her hands in his little ones. Jack muscled his way in front of Vince, shoving him away.
"I said, back off!" he yelled.
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" Students all around the schoolyard chanted, whipping out their phones to view the spectacle.
Vince broke free of Jack's grip, thrusting a finger at Nova. "Did you see what that freak just did? She's got some kind of weapon!"
Trembling, Nova pressed herself against the wall, her face white as a sheet. Every eye in the schoolyard was on her, her half-formed armor glinting in the hot sun.
"Nova?" Raf asked, clutching her hands in his. "It's okay. Just calm down…"
Fists clenched, Nova looked round at all of the eyes turned her way. She absorbed the looks of shock, disgust, fear, and her heaving breath caught in her throat.
With every passing second, a scream built up in her throat, and her body tensed beneath her armor, ready to run, fight, hide. She couldn't calm down; she couldn't think. Everything was happening too fast for her to stop. Her panic mounted higher and higher, boiling over and squeezing at her heart until she could no longer bear it.
Huffing out a sob, she yanked her hands away from Raf and leapt over the side of the stairs, darting around the shadows of the building and bolting down the street.
"Nova!" people yelled. "Nova, come back!"
Nova paid no mind.
Her armor shot out further with every pounding step until it covered her completely. Her wild eyes were blurred with unstemmed tears, but she did not feel the impact of people, mailboxes, or signs as they caught her in passing. She just ran, and ran, and ran, until she could not run anymore, and she fell to the ground, consumed with tears.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII