A/N: Thank you so much for the review to jynk.
I'm on my long holidays. Be warned, there will be major dark themes ahead. I still have to correct through my next few chapters until I'm happy with it. I wrote all the way up to chapter seven so I'm refining a whole lot. Thank you for your patience everyone.
I'm also on Tumblr at MrsTransformersFanfiction
Project Dr Kyrie Welsh
Chapter Three
Victoria didn't mean to fall asleep. She was supposed to stay awake for Wheeljack so she can try to eat something even if it's something small. She noted the blood that leaked out was actually now stained with Dark Energon. Thanks to the courtesy from the warlord Megatron himself.
When she woke up, Victoria didn't want to at all stay at Optimus's quarters nor does she see a point in staying in and why she was at Wheeljack's airship, so she can think properly. She always find solace with change of scenery there. She wished she was on the passenger seat on the Jackhammer airship now or anywhere to get rid of the nightmares that rolled around in her mind.
She wanted to see her best friend: Dr Kyrie Welsh. Victoria wanted to tell her everything from her own heart and she even wanted to talk to Dreadwing not just about the explosive but she wanted to talked to him about what they had witnessed what her best friend can do as a failed experiment to her crazed husband, Silas. But there was no chance she can walked on her own not with this type of injury she'd sustained.
She wouldn't be surprised if she finds herself back with the green Autobot medic, Ratchet at the medbay. Because he wanted daily progression report of the effects on Dark Energon and the Prime relic effects on a human. She was feeling very dizzy, light headed from lack of nutrition. This was due to another side effects from the Dark Energon. It was clear that any Cybertronian relics are not supposed to mix with humans.
Of course, she hadn't eaten all day. She was afraid to eat. The woman couldn't understand why she couldn't digest normal human food. Every time she did, she would throw it all up onto the floor. She suspected it was Dark Energon. The Dark Energon blood was never there when Wheeljack treated her wounds earlier with simple first aid treatment. Victoria was actually afraid to go to sleep.
Her dreams always wake her up unexpectedly too. The reason why she wander around the military base was not only an opportunity to calmed her mind. She wanted to forget the reoccurring nightmare, bury it very deeply and never to come out. Victoria knew was impossible. Because the dream keeps chasing her, reminding her of the reality she was stuck in and the reality she had been running from since she'd resigned the CIA division for very good reason.
Victoria flinched when her own hand wander around the hole at the back of her neck and felt the thick bandage on her neck. It was the weirdest feeling she ever felt. The wound of her neck was still very raw and there was a thick bandage plastered over there when she did wake up at the medbay a week ago. She still couldn't believed it was Ratchet who'd operated on her very successfully and had studied human biology.
She remembered the tracker on herself. Fact was: her best friend, Dr Kyrie Welsh, was forced to operate on Victoria and their lives threatened by MECH and the Cemetery Wind. This was the reason why Victoria also landed herself at the medbay because she wanted Ratchet to scan if there was a tracker installed on her again otherwise she would recklessly operated on her own.
Since her escape, Victoria had always been more paranoid and often, her hand would run over to the back of her neck. Her heart pounded repeatedly. She nudged her neck gently with her fingers. There really is no tracker in her skin. The tracker wasn't a one time installed at the laboratory warehouse incident. The tracker was also installed when she was captured on the Nemesis warship. Twice, operated.
Optimus voice rang through her ear like a source of comfort. It was as though he was right next to her. She placed the back of her hand upon her face and allowed her tears to rain down on its own. Her own lips trembled. The female human bit back her sobbed that threatened to escaped her. The memory was fresh in her mind and felt as though it was just yesterday. His servo closed around her small hands. Many times, struggled against his gripped.
Optimus never gave up when comes to her safety. He was terrified for her life when she attempted to operate on herself recklessly and always, patient with his stubborn human partner. No matter how determined she was to get it out of her own, countless occasions, Optimus always prevented her from yanking out the tracker out from her neck. He never left her side.
"...You have my word, Victoria. You will get the tracker out. I promised you. I will get you a damn doctor."
She felt as though was yesterday that Optimus fought with her with all his might to keep her safe. She was never easy to guard. But to him, she was worth it in the end, even in love and to love as a person. Many times the two of them felt forbidden feelings that flow between them since their time together. The memory rolled over to her mind.
"Thank you, Optimus. Thank you." Victoria whispered to herself quietly and allowed her own tears to streamed down on its own.
She wished there was a bottle of water next to her. Her throat was very dry. She wanted the taste of water badly. Would she be able to digest it or throw up like before? Her thoughts wander to her best friend and her voice echoed to her ear. Her heart clenched to a tight squeeze. Her own hand placed on her chest. She wished she can reversed what Silas did to her and more importantly, what became of her now...
"...You should be afraid of me. I'm not one of you anymore. I don't know what I am anymore..."
Victoria sighed. She closed her eyes and rested her arms against her face. Quietly, she cried to herself for her best friend. She was still having trouble to digest what happened to her. Dr Kyrie Welsh had been the one person she wrongly hunted for a long time.
The truth that laid in front of the red hair female former agent made her break down silently. She let her own tears poured down on its own. Kyrie said she wanted to make up to her mistakes so does Victoria to her childhood friend. She wasn't just anyone. She was family at heart too. Her tears kept streaming down on its own none stopped.
She wept silently. The back of her hand pressed against her lips unaware that Wheeljack was still outside the door and listened to her cries. He hadn't left yet because he always felt she needed somebody to be by herself. When Wheeljack learned about her past, he had a feeling that he should stay because he was certain Optimus would have wanted him to rather than being at the cafeteria to make his own amends.
Wheeljack closed his optics and listened to her crying. Victoria always did let out her cries whenever she thought she was by herself and how much she was personally hurting, Wheeljack saw it all but respected her privacy. He was still there for her even when he witnessed the worst nightmare he ever witnessed and was far worst than the ones he experienced back on Cybertron. He only realised that her wounds was far deeper not just in health but more so mentally.
Of course he didn't leave her. He couldn't leave knowing what she endured for awhile and he never told anyone what he witnessed. Wheeljack thought she was crying on her own when she was on the Jackhammer airship. Privately even had disabled his cameras because that was her right to stay and now he understood all those times she stayed at the passenger seat was to rid of what she see repeatedly each night.
Wheeljack felt helpless. He wished there was a way to end her nightmare and got one hell of a journey ahead of her. Victoria wept to the point she allowed her exhaustion to carry her to sleep and this was what concerned him because he knew she developed a lot of health problems since she came home from the Nemesis warship capture and the signs were there too.
He felt he should stay the night to ease the pain but he doesn't want her to end up pushing him away not when he was just getting to know her. He felt for her and the for the first time had heard her. Victoria was alike like Wheeljack but more superior in being the Lone Wolf and like him, doesn't opened up at all for very good reasons behind the scenes.
And in the evening, he was about to witnessed her time in the CIA, learning the deepest past what made her the way she is...
The female agent woke up to the sound of several missiles hit the door. The door bang a couple of times rather violently. Victoria stared at the entrance. The door exploded and collapsed on the door. She expected to see it was her guardian but it was actually the former ex Decepticon that came through the room she was held captive.
Dreadwing took out his sword and easily nip the chains that restrained her. He put his own sword back on his back. He actually caught her around the chest when she fell to the floor. But she didn't hit the floor like she thought she would. She looked up to those red optics and was rather shocked to see him.
"Dreadwing." Victoria whimpered in much pain from the blood loss that was on the back of her neck. "W-What are you doing here?" Her voice was very feeble when she spoke.
"Hello, Agent Valorheart. It certainly been a long time." Dreadwing greeted her. There was a lot of respect in his tone just for her.
"Vic!" A familiar voice called out above her. It was her long time best friend. "Put me down, Dreadwing! I want to see her. Don't move her!"
"K-Kyrie?" Victoria stammered with a lot of emotions.
"I'm here, Vic! I'm here! Let me have a look at you!" Kyrie answered her with much relief in her voice when she heard her high school best friend. "Put me down, Dreadwing! Put me down!" She said in a sing song voice rather bossily.
"Make it quick. We don't have much time." Dreadwing reminded the brunette female.
He was quite taken with this little bossy female. He never had anyone that bossed him around other than Lord Megatron. Dreadwing sounded rather amused. But what Victoria should have realised of the unusual partnership she was witnessing right before her very eyes was that: Kyrie is literally part Cybertronian thanks to her crazy husband, Mr Leland Bishop. Close up to, she heard Kyrie was rather very impatient to see her and she actually almost fell off Dreadwing's shoulder until Dreadwing caught her by her leg easily. Then, turn her from down to upwards and gently set her on the floor.
"Like a little sparkling, you're very impatient, little one." Dreadwing teased the doctor and he jabbed Kyrie lightly on her back.
"Oh yeah?" Kyrie shot back in her same bossy tone. She put her hands on her hips and glared at the former Cybertronian. "Look who's talking, Mr Hypocrite! So were you! You wanted to fire off the ceiling when I told you I would get you out!" She teased back at him and stuck her tongue out at him.
Dreadwing grinned at her at her response. He looked very amused at her sarcastic remark back on him. Sarcastically, he raised his metal hands in the air in a surrender mode. He didn't want to argue something so tedious with his current unusual human partner. Victoria heard Kyrie tap onto his horn lightly on the side. Her vision was still very blurry from the wave of electrocution she received from Agent Savoy not so long ago. Her head also felt very light headed. But the voice was definitely Kyrie's and she never felt so please to see her best friend once more.
Dreadwing set the doctor female down very carefully on the floor with his huge metal hand. Kyrie jumped off to the ground eagerly and ran straight to her best friend. Victoria had never heard Kyrie this cheerful before and she sounded quite close with this bot. Victoria didn't even realised that her best friend was actually sitting on his shoulder rather comfortably earlier. She was very surprised that Kyrie managed to interact with a bloody Decepticon and not an Autobot!
Who knew that a human can changed the heart of a Decepticon and set him on the right path? Victoria felt there was something strange going on between her best friend and Dreadwing. Personally, she really doesn't mind at all. But, really; Dreadwing acted more like a damn rogue Cybertronian for very good personal reasons. Dreadwing crouched down to their height. Kyrie gasped when she saw Victoria up close. She saw her wounds that was leaking not just from her neck dangerously but she thought she also seen blood ooze out from her back. The female doctor was very careful not to move her.
"I am so sorry!" Kyrie said with much guilt in her voice.
"K-Kyrie. Don't worry about me. You got your chance to get out. You know I can't go with you. Go with Dreadwing." Victoria placed a consoling hand on her shoulder imploringly.
"I am not leaving you! We came to get you out!" Kyrie cried out frantically. "Please. Give me a chance to fix my mistakes. I can take the tracker out from you. I am not leaving you. You are coming with me whether you like it or not! We're not taking no for an answer, Vic! I can't lose you! I can't!" She said determinedly. She was positively crying right now.
Kyrie was shocked to discover her hands was actually raw from the electrocution that Victoria received. She gasped at the sight of her raw hand. Even her skin looked like it was peeling off too. She wanted so much to hold onto her hands, to make up for all she had done. Victoria made up her mind on the spot. There was definitely no way in hell she will go back to NEST base like this with the damn tracker installed at the back of her neck even if this means she will be left behind. There is a big chance that MECH and the Cemetery Wind will find out where the location of their own base.
Dreadwing intervened and knelt to her height.
"Agent Valorheart. Believe me, I understand your primary concerned. You do not have to worry about being hunted anymore; especially Silas. I believed the team is now currently destroying the illegal creation and experimentation against humanity. Optimus send me to you because he wants to personally have a word with him. You don't have to stay here anymore and you'd deserved better." Dreadwing explained.
Victoria sighed. She considered his words and closed her eyes for awhile at the thought of her guardian. Of course he would have a word with her enraged husband. She never knew how much Silas was up to the moment she signed her soul to him and never felt she belonged to him. She could hear constant yells outside not to mention a lot of gunfire that tells her an ex Decepticon is telling her the truth. She knew better there is always a way and someone else will take over of what MECH and the Cemetery Wind started. The truth was: she knew she will never stopped being a fugitive no matter which way she headed. There is always a price at hand.
At least somebody was being fully honest with her. She hates it when she was either kept in the dark or the lies that was constantly thrown with her as well as uncomfortable operation that wasn't worth to participate. Victoria always had a conscious when it comes to choosing the right mission and not for the wrong mission. She gasped when the wall shook violently and glanced at the wall. Dreadwing stood up. He looked warily when the wall shook and place a protective metal hand in front of the girls. Apparently it seemed that Optimus was right outside their room. That was no doubt. Victoria had never heard the Prime this angry before.
Victoria looked back at Dreadwing in shocked. She believed him. She can hear her own so called husband was being choke by Optimus. She didn't want to go out nor does she need to go out. Because she can hear Leland Bishop was actually gasping for breathe. Optimus must have learned his own human partner had been tortured and illegally operated. That send him off the roof without a doubt. Kyrie and Victoria was holding onto each other when they heard the noise outside. Dreadwing turned his attention and knelt down to her height with one knee once more.
Victoria let go of Kyrie and her best friend had an apprehensive look plastered on her face when she awaited the former agent reply. Victoria was quite taken aback she was addressed by her title despite the fact she'd already left the company ages ago. That was a big deal because it was rare of Dreadwing to show a huge amount of respect. Apparently to him, he noted there was a lot of honour in his eyes about the female human that saved his life many years ago and perhaps this was repayment to him to her. Victoria did find it bit weird for a Con to care to this extent and to say weird for her to see with a human.
"I hear you, Dreadwing. But hear me out on this and unless you got a better idea I'm happy to hear any other suggestion any of you guys have in mind and who to say they won't ever stopped hunting? I never believed they will stopped, Dreadwing because somebody will always take over the organisation until one of us stopped breathing. I already told Optimus and he knows it too. I guarantee you someone will take over the torch that began MECH and the Cemetery Wind. There will always be someone that hunt down to those that refused a mission. I will go with you. But I will not go right into base not with a tracker on me. It's too dangerous. You can take me but not anywhere back to base. Promise me you will, Dreadwing." Victoria said determinedly.
Dreadwing looked at her with much admiration. "That is up to Optimus, little one. You are not the only one with a tracker, Agent Valorheart. Show her." He gave Kyrie another nudge with his metal finger on her back lightly.
Kyrie scowl at him and was rather reluctant to comply because she didn't want to scare Victoria either what had happened when she was knocked out cold from the operation. Kyrie flinched at the thought of her going under the knife ever again. But there was no doubt Victoria had many times. Victoria gave him a puzzled looked in question.
"What do you mean?" Victoria asked, baffled at his statement. "Kyrie, what's going on? What does Dreadwing mean?"
Kyrie made no answer. She was hesitant to give her one. Slowly, she turned around and showed her best friend the tracker on her neck. It was just like hers. There was a punctured wound on the back of her neck. Her skin was raw just like hers, peeled off very painfully and there was the same tracker that was sewn in her very skin.
The female agent swore under her breathe. Questions exploded in her head and fear erupted in her heart before a rage of fury flared inside her chest. She gaped at Dreadwing. He was telling her the truth once more. Then stared back at Kyrie. How long were they at the laboratory warehouse base? Kyrie ran towards Dreadwing and hide behind his leg. She didn't want Victoria to see her this way and she was scared.
Dreadwing watched Kyrie hid behind his metal leg. In fact, what the women didn't know is they were scared to see each other this way. Like a child, Kyrie clung onto Dreadwing's foot and fear was written in her eyes. The eyes was no longer human and Victoria realised what Silas goal had been: to be a fully fledge hybrid Cybertronian and human experimentation. Kyrie's eyes was actually yellow.
Victoria felt sick to her stomach what she had uncovered. Kyrie was a brilliant doctor to the point she almost became inhumane and her whole life was upside down. In a way, Victoria felt she had failed her best friend to protect her and felt it was her job to look out for her.
"Kyrie...what happened to you...please, talk to me... I'm not afraid of you..." Victoria said consolingly, admittedly doesn't know what else to say to her. She noted that Kyrie's arms and hands was metal...
"You should be afraid of me. I'm... I'm not one of you anymore. I don't even know what I am anymore..." Kyrie said in a broken voice. She sounded like she wanted to cry. Victoria can see her shaking from head to toe.
"Then tell me." Victoria assured her.
Kyrie tried to talk. Something was holding her back. No words came out. She struggled to utter a word at that time. The colour of her eye was changing right now. Her eyes looked pleadingly to Victoria. She could only whimper. Victoria could see her eyes was like Energon flowing through her veins and her veins was no longer human blood.
No longer blood. The arms and legs was part Cybertronian. Kyrie looked more than beaten up at this stage. She shook her head, retreated more than a few steps from her best friends, shook her head and hid with Dreadwing for awhile. Something was happening to Kyrie. She still loved her best friend as a family. Nothing more. But didn't want her to see her like this.
Victoria looked shocked. She glanced once at Dreadwing then at Kyrie. Hell, she was going to bring Kyrie to justice and she swore to herself that she will arrest her own husband and throw him to jail if that's the last thing she will do, even if it meant to tear her own marriage apart. Hell, the marriage with Silas was never a marriage to begin with since she signed the papers and since her soul was sold to him unwillingly.
"Kyrie... I will never be afraid of you. You're my best friend. We grew up together. You're my family, always will be. No matter what happens nothing will ever changed. I told you before you will always be my sister and I am yours." Victoria said determinedly, still in the same soft voice. She moved closer to Kyrie.
"I - I don't think you should come any closer!" Kyrie said in a high pitch tone suddenly. Her voice risen to a high pitched tone.
Dreadwing and Victoria shared a concerned looked with one another. "Why not?" Dreadwing tested his human partner.
"I - I don't know what's happening to me." Kyrie admitted to Dreadwing in a shaky lost tone. "No one can helped me what I am. Look at what I am. I destroy anything that I touch. You saw it, Dreadwing. You shouldn't be surprised at all. You seen what I can do that is not human. I am not human anymore. I am not even a Cybertronian. I don't know what I am or what he made me to be. B-Because when it comes...I - I lose control and when it comes, I hurt the people I loved..."
"We'll figure it out, Kyrie! I promise you we will get you the help you need. You are human! You always are of what you are, a human!" Victoria assured her. "You told me to come home with you and Dreadwing. If that's what it takes, I will come home with you but not back to base. I won't risk everyone's safety."
"I'm so sorry, Victoria." Kyrie looked at her directly in the eye. "I really am.. I'm so sorry...go away. Please. Stay away from me. I beg you!"
"Kyrie - wait!" Dreadwing protested firmly. Victoria wanted to say more to Kyrie too but her best friend started to yell back at them in clear warning. It was a frightening tone she never heard before and made her stepped back.
"-Stay away from me!" She screamed out suddenly. Her own hands outstretched and there was clear lightning coming out from her fingers. Even her own eyes was turning purple from yellow. She became darker than before.
"Kyrie...If you didn't operate on yourself then who did?" Victoria asked in a wondered tone slowly.
"I - I can't. Don't..." Kyrie begged her. She looked like she was in pain. "Please, just go. I love you both. Please, just go. Stay away from me!" Kyrie raised her voice to a screamed suddenly.
"I'm not going anywhere! You told me to come home with you!" Victoria reminded her desperately.
She shared a look with Dreadwing who looked lost like she was. A strange static sound that was coming from her. Close to, Victoria thought she saw a purple sphere around her. The static electric noise was back. It seemed to be emitting from her. The doctor ran away from Dreadwing. All the way to the corner of the wall. She was shaking from head to toe, hugging herself close. Her mouth wouldn't stopped chattering on its own. Now, realised there was something more to what was going on. Dreadwing placed his metal servo in front of Victoria.
"Please. I told you to stay away from me." Kyrie repeated once more like a chant. "Stay away from me!"
Her last sentence became a sudden shrieked which blasted through the room. Everything went white. The room went white.
"Kyrie!" Victoria yelled out. Her hands stretched out desperate to reached for her best friend.
Dreadwing was the first to reached Victoria first and picked her up quickly with his servos. He was terrified that Victoria would be harm by her own best friend unintended. It was clear to the both of them that Kyrie was weaponised with a very strange power that was coming out from her right at this moment. She was experimented illegally by MECH and now she was a super weapon for Silas to control in his own sick twisted games he played.
"Stay back!" Dreadwing said sharply.
He set Victoria gently on the floor behind him. Then headed straight for Kyrie only to be actually thrown to the wall. Her power was so strong that it threw him back against the ground. It wasn't a fast throw but a slow motion throw and very strange as though time stopped him. He groaned and placed his metal hand on his helm. The Seeker stared at Kyrie. She let out an anguished screamed. He too, was trying to understand what was actually happening to Kyrie in the room.
"Dreadwing, are you okay?" Victoria raced towards him.
"I'm fine." Dreadwing assured her. "I'm more worried about Kyrie."
Victoria wouldn't argue with him on that note. So was she. A successful experiment or a fail experiment created by the MECH that needs to be immediately shut down? He didn't know and neither did Victoria. After all, he only just met his human partner today and there was more to what Kyrie seemed to be and she was now more than just being a hybrid Cybertronian and a human experimentation. He wasn't the only. Victoria thought so too.
Suddenly, without so much of a warning, Victoria was thrown backwards against the wall when she ran towards her best friend. Dreadwing immediately saw her own skin that was new was ripped raw and a very deep cut. It was more than just a static now around Kyrie. It was more than just a yellow shield that came out from Kyrie. It was an unknown power that came out of Kyrie. But, when Victoria was thrown back, it was as though time stopped her from hitting the ground.
"Agent Valorheart!" Dreadwing simply helped her to her feet. He examined her wound.
Kyrie was on full electrocution right now and she gave a high pitched horror screamed that echoed across the room. The shock vibrated through the room three times. A protective servo rested on Victoria's head. His other arm covered his face. The whole room was shaking with dust and rocks. Thin cracks form the room. The building itself looked ready to be torn into pieces. Victoria thought she looked controlled and wondered if there was a device on Kyrie.
The building looked ready to fall. Victoria glanced over her shoulder and saw Kyrie shrieked with much horror. Her eyes were glassy. It was filled with Energon and blood at the same time when the unknown power erupted through her timid body. Kyrie was actually expelling out a purple shield out from her timid body. She even let out several bolts of lightning that shot out of her hand.
The first failed experiment soldier and clearly not fit for humans at all. They couldn't reached Kyrie. All they could do was let Kyrie continue to go into shock. Victoria attempted to get to Kyrie for the second time. Dreadwing got to her first and wrapped his arms around her waist firmly. He wouldn't let her go near her best friend, after she was given the first set of injury before and wouldn't risk her being hurt unintentionally. It was clearly way too dangerous for anyone to even be near Kyrie. Victoria fought fruitlessly in his grasped. Her hands outstretched to her best friend. Was Kyrie controlled?
"We need to get her, save her!" Victoria pleaded to Dreadwing emotionally.
"I can't let you because look at your new injury." Dreadwing reason with her.
"You know that's not her fault!" Victoria snapped angrily at him. "Let me get her."
"No and quit being stubborn!" Dreadwing was adamant.
Victoria wanted to know. They would never know if she was a control experiment. Was she prevented from speaking out her answer or threatened that's why she avoided them and became scared right now because she knew? The questions ran repeatedly over Victoria's mind when she watched her best friend flared up what looked to be a psionic shield ability that was erupting out from her. Victoria hung her mouth opened. Her hands still outstretched to Kyrie.
"Dreadwing, please." Victoria pleaded him.
"Stay down!" Dreadwing warned Victoria sharply. "Stop! It's too dangerous, Agent Valorheart!"
"Kyrie is not dangerous!" Victoria protested. She shook her head.
"Her powers can kill you." Dreadwing warned her.
"Did you know?" Victoria gaped at what he just said. Her voice shook with much shocked.
She couldn't believed her own ears nor could she believed her own eyes what she just witnessed. She felt she was from a different world and not Earth at the jargon Dreadwing was telling her. The room now flashed with bright light. The yellow shield expelled three times in the room. Dust fell from the ceiling.
Rocks dangerously fell from the ceiling. The walls began to crack dangerously. The room shook dangerously. Dreadwing and Victoria closed their eyes tightly. White and purple light flashed across the room. Victoria craned her head over her shoulder. Her face was now covered with dust. Dreadwing and Victoria conversed on top of their own voices when Kyrie let out another shrieking screamed that echoed through the room. All they could do was wait for Kyrie to finished her explosion that seemed out of control. They couldn't see her properly nor could they get to her.
There was a pulse of electric shock came out from Kyrie right now. They couldn't see Kyrie properly because of the light that glared at their faces. The flinched and shut their eyes tightly. Kyrie was now standing at the corner of the wall. Her face twisted in sheer agony. Victoria saw vaguely there was a shield around her whole body covering Kyrie.
"I know her for awhile, little one. She came by often to visit me and slipped a tracker upon me too, under strict orders of course. It was why we'd insisted we should all stay together." Dreadwing assured her. "After she was done with all the operation, I watched her being taken by Silas and heard her screamed." He shook his head. "It's not the first time she screamed nor the first time she was taken and experimented."
"You were slipped with a tracker?" Victoria was amazed.
"Yes, indeed I was." Dreadwing agreed in a patient tone.
"How did Silas managed to find you again?" Victoria interrogated him. "I thought you were free from him for good." Her face fell. She never expected to see him again not like this.
"Do not blame yourself, Agent Valorheart. You done more for me than you'd realised. No one can stopped his obsession. It is him alone. I was tracking a team of missing Vehicons until I came upon another false Energon reading that led me to them. They were actually torn apart. I was knocked out for a couple of hours at the very least, woke up here." Dreadwing explained fully to her in a light tone.
"I didn't expect to see you here again." Victoria admitted.
"Neither did I." Dreadwing agreed. "Do not worry. We won't be here for long. We are all in an agreement not to return to base."
"And Kyrie?" Victoria didn't like the idea of all of them being separated.
"I will get to Kyrie. You have my word I will protect her with my life. Will you wait for a doctor, Agent Valorheart?" Dreadwing asked seriously with a watchful optic on her. "Optimus said you can be more than just reckless."
"Patience is never my strong suite." She smiled at him when Dreadwing mentioned her guardian's name. "Dreadwing. If Kyrie didn't operate on herself, then, who did?"
"I wished I knew who it was, Agent Valorheart. I remembered I black out for a short while until Kyrie came by to visit me and broke me out of here. Rest assured, I will repay the favour by visiting to the one responsible to Dr Kyrie Welsh." Dreadwing vowed darkly.
The room was finally clearing and now calmer. The electrocution on Kyrie finally seized. They put their arms away from one another and saw Kyrie was on the floor, clearly unconscious. The dust in the room continue to fall on them.
"Let me see her. Please. I will be all right. She's the one that need more helped than me." Victoria said firmly.
"The both of you need help." Dreadwing corrected her.
Dreadwing glanced at the female former agent. He hesitated. Then set her down gently on the ground. Victoria hopped down off his metal hand and went straight for Kyrie. Victoria coughed heavily through the dust that drizzle over them. She accidentally inhaled a large amount of dust that went down her nostril and went down her lungs. Victoria ran to Kyrie and kneeled down on the floor.
"Kyrie!" Victoria shouted in a panic voice. She turned her best friend over very carefully and noted the amount of injuries that is on her.
She could see the deep wounds on her face. There was like an x symbol on Kyrie's face now. The scars on her face was cut diagonally from the left and right side. It wasn't there before. This must have been the effects from her powers. It was clear Kyrie cannot access to her unknown powers because there is a chance for her she will die from it. Was this her enraged husband's plan all along? Victoria could see her veins was completely covered in Energon. It was not at all human blood. She could see her skin was more raw than before. Victoria gently close her hands with hers and carefully shake her, determined to wake her.
"Kyrie." Victoria sounded broken. "Kyrie! Please wake up! Kyrie! Wake up! You need to wake up. You need to wake up for me, Kyrie. Wake up!"
She pleaded her unconscious friend whom remained unresponsive on the floor completely and rock Kyrie from the left to the right side. She let out a soft sobbed. Unaware that her sob echoed through the wall. Victoria was not far from Optimus. But she doesn't realised that Silas was right behind her. Victoria's eyes flared up angrily when she heard her husband chuckled evilly and his voice reached her ears that made her heart boiled with much anger that shot out like a steaming fire. She was shaking from head to toe when she heard what he just suddenly said that made her own blood boiled.
"What a weak useless wife and she called herself a CIA agent?" Silas mocked Victoria.
Dreadwing looked alarmed when Victoria set Kyrie down gently on the floor. He saw the red head female tore straight for the next door room without hesitation. All Victoria ever desired to do right now was to strangle her husband around his throat with her bare hands. That's all she cared. She wanted him to pay, to suffer for the pain he had inflicted upon those she'd cared about, to punished him the way he had on her friends brutally and herself.
"Agent Valorheart, no!" Dreadwing called out after her.
Victoria ignored his order and pelted right after her own husband. Hurt and anger was written all over her face at her husband remark. She went straight for her husband. It was actually lucky that her guardian was there. Optimus was thunderstruck when his human partner walked right into the room. Silas was laughing his head off when Victoria clasped her hand around her own husband's throat literally now strangling her own husband with her bare hands. Her eyes ablaze with much fury. Silas was now slumped against the wall, clearly sustained broken ribs earlier. Apparently Optimus wasn't delicate to him at all and had gripped him to the point of some puncture bones.
"Victoria, no!" Optimus flashed warningly at her.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Victoria snarled bitterly at her own husband.
She even bang his head against the wall determinedly with all her might.
"Stand down, Victoria!" Optimus said immediately.
"I WON'T!" Victoria retorted defiantly. Her voice injured with much hurt was not missed by the Autobot leader. "He needs to pay, Optimus! For all he had done to Kyrie and I want answers!"
"You think, as a former CIA agent you're a match against me?" Silas managed to tell her.
"Did you or did you not control my childhood best friend?" Victoria demanded to know fiercely. "Whatever you did on her undo it now! Tell me - God dammit! Tell me what you did to her and I will make sure you have a lot to answer for! Tell me! Tell me!"
"Fuck!" Optimus swore loudly. He was even beyond pissed what he saw next happened. "God no, Victoria! For – fucks - sake!" He snarled with much annoyance. His temper got the better of him.
Victoria certainly gave him no choice but to stepped in right away. Now, Silas was choking her in return. But laughter still managed to escaped from his lips. He grinned at her evilly. His hands managed to closed around her own wrist. Victoria was determined to bang Silas against the wall ruthlessly. She wasn't interested in his bullshit right now.
She was just interested in getting all the answers she wanted. It was more like determined to kill. Still, she did managed to choke him. But she didn't choke Silas for long because he managed to get his hands around hers. Her own throat. He might be bulky with a lot of muscle but she was a lot smaller than her husband. This made Optimus extremely pissed off especially when her safety was at complete risk and he's her guardian personally.
Victoria gasped for breathe when Silas seized her throat with his own and sneered triumphantly at his wife. Optimus never imagined Victoria would ever get choke by her own husband. Silas actually choked, lost his breathe to even utter a word. It wasn't for long, though. It was now actually her turn to be choked for breathe just like Silas did. Victoria gagged. She long for breathe and even turned blue before she fell limped to the side. Her eyes rolled back and lost conscious. Instantly, Dreadwing and Optimus both rushed to her aid.
They reacted very fast and was there in a flashed. The moment Silas managed to gripped Victoria's throat with his hands, Optimus seized Silas hands, pulled him off roughly from her and caught Victoria in his servos. He even took the remote device and punched it away from him. He was shock her own husband would harm her like this and he gave a death glare at Silas, personally. Optimus gently took Victoria away. Dreadwing dangerously hoisted Silas into the air and seized him by his collar. Optimus crushed the remote device that was in Silas hand with his foot. He cradled Victoria in his arms and walked her right out of the room.
"If you do that again to Agent Valorheart, I promised you there's more than just a wind pipe to crushed!" Dreadwing hissed in his ears.
Optimus took Victoria out of the room carefully in his servo. He nodded once at Dreadwing and left him in charge to guard duty. The ex Con nodded back at the Autobot leader. Once Optimus was outside with Victoria, he appeared in his human holoform. Carefully, he rolled her on the back and began CPR on her. It didn't take Optimus long to performed CPR on her and counted silently, praying with all his might that his human partner is strong enough to regain conscious. After thirty seconds of intense compression on her chest gently, Optimus was successful.
It wasn't long when Victoria successfully regained consciousness. She gave a long gasped. She wheezed once her airways was cleared. She bolted upright, coughing. Optimus rested his human hands gently on her back. Victoria turned around to realised her guardian was right next to her. She gasped at the sight of Optimus. Was she dreaming that he was here with her right now? They hadn't seen each other in three months since her last mission. The last time Victoria had seen the leader of the Autobots was when they were at the NEST military base at the exit entrance.
The both of them seem to be remembering a promised they'd made to each other. Optimus had been very unsettled when Victoria told him she would go on her mission. A mission he had felt something she wasn't going to come home for a long time. The leader of the Autobot gave her a long hug and was reluctant for her to go on her mission. The words flow back to the both of them and they seemed to remember what Victoria told him. The female agent rested against his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she had given him a goodbye kissed before she parted.
'"I'll come back to you, Optimus. I promise. I will always come back to you. Don't worry about my safety. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself." Victoria promised him lightly. She placed her hands on his cheek and kissed his forehead.
"I know. Please be safe. I love you, Victoria." Optimus only let her go when Victoria's phone rang in her pocket. It was a time that says her mission just started.
"Love you too, Optimus." Victoria said genuinely at him. She smiled back brightly at him. She grinned at him warmly and smooth his back.
Optimus never stopped worrying about her. He was right to always worry about Victoria. Her job had always been dangerous. Her life was always at stake because of her job. There was no doubt she was good at her job. That's why the Autobots still retain her title even though she's no longer a CIA division agent. It was actually a mark of respect the Autobots had towards her.
Now, here they both are: two months later, without seeing one another, now back at the laboratory warehouse, Optimus finally managed to find his human partner was in serious danger.
"O-Optimus?" asked Victoria weakly. "Optimus." She hugged him instantly and was shaking from head to toe.
Optimus kissed her on the cheek and smooth her long red hair with his fingers. The other hand smooth her back gently. "Hi." said Optimus softly to her. God he misses her this close to him.
"I'm so sorry." Victoria lightly let out a light sobbed and then held it back. She felt guilty she couldn't go home fast enough. Her voice sounded broken. "I'm so sorry. I lost control."
Optimus merely held her close to his chest and swayed her from side to side. He continued to combed through her hair with his fingers lightly. "You know I could have lost you just now. What the hell were you thinking, Victoria? I was terrified to loose you."
"I wasn't thinking." Victoria agreed. "I'm sorry, Optimus. I was so angry and upset." She sighed and closed her eyes for awhile then looked back at Optimus directly in his blue optics.
Victoria knew his words are true. Optimus must have been worried out of his mind about her when he hadn't heard from her. How long she had been in the laboratory warehouse amazed her that she's still alive. If she ever came back home in a body bag, Optimus would have lost control completely.
He wanted to know all the details especially how she managed to find herself in a situation like this and perhaps both of them owe an explanation to one another. Optimus wanted to talk with her but he knew being here seemed less of an option. All he cared right now was to get her out of here.
"I really miss you." Victoria admitted tiredly at him. Her lips trembled.
Optimus merely smiled at her. "And I missed you very much. Are you all right, Victoria?" He asked, gently placed his human palms upon her cheeks gently.
"I - I think so." Victoria nodded in answer when she spoke tiredly. She winced a little when she tried to breathe properly and felt a broken rib somewhere. "I guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"Breathe. I'm sorry. You might have sustained a couple of crack ribs through CPR." Optimus told her apologetically. "First. I want you to rest. You are certainly not going back in there to interrogate him."
"I'm sorry." Victoria meant it.
"Victoria. You know you are a lot better than this. This isn't the way. I promised you. You will get your answers. But not like this." Optimus searched her eyes longingly at her.
He was trying to understand what made her reacted this way nor had he ever expected her to go out of control. That scared him. He was scared for her life.
Victoria sighed. She rested her cheeks against the palm of his hands. "It won't happened again."
"What's going on, Victoria?" Optimus raised his eyebrows at her. His tone became softer to her.
Victoria looked right into his blue eyes. All Optimus was now seeing was fear and pain in her eyes. He had never seen her this way like this. This kills him on the inside to see her this way.
"Optimus." Victoria started in a terrified whisper. "He made my childhood best friend a hybrid Human-Cybertronian. This was her life. She was supposed to be a doctor and live her life. I couldn't let it go. I couldn't let him go until I see justice. I know I owe you an explanation."
Optimus sighed. He parted her red hair to the right side then looked thoughtfully at her. "You will get your answers. I promised you. You will get justice. I promised you this. But I do not ever want to see you go after him ever again. Do you understand me?"
Victoria nodded at him. "Thank you, Optimus."
"Good girl." Optimus smooth her right side with his hand. "I promised you I will give the answers what you seek. Allow me to interrogate him. I give you my word, Victoria."
"Are you benching me?" Victoria raised her eyebrows.
"Yes." Optimus chuckled. "Can you blame me?"
"No." Victoria agreed knowingly. She smiled. She didn't mind so long she was close with him. She could use a good holiday too.
Victoria nodded. She was still anxious about it. "Do you know where you are, Victoria? Let me have a look at you."
"At the laboratory warehouse." Victoria prompted him, a little light headed from sitting up so suddenly.
Her vision blurred but she can still see him. "Very good. Nice and easy does it, Victoria. Let me have a look at you."
Victoria merely nodded. Optimus examined her very carefully. That was when he saw the tracker, expertly secure right into her very flesh, right into her delicate skin. It was sewn very well to the point the back of her neck is still bleeding. He could see her own back was still leaking with blood very dangerously. His human hand gently placed on the tracker which made Victoria jumped instantly with clear fright.
Optimus looked apologetically to her. She let out a stifle gasped, placed her hand over the tracker. Her eyes widened in fear at the realisation of what he had seen. She had even tried to yank out the tracker very dangerously until his hands clasped over with her warningly. Optimus pulled her hands firmly away from the tracker. He looked highly aware of what she was doing and determined to talk her out of it.
"No. Stop." Optimus protested warningly to her. He gripped onto her hand firmly.
Victoria shook her head in answer, clearly in a state of panic. "Optimus -" Her voice shook. She fought against his gripped, stubbornly.
"Don't. Don't. Victoria. I understand your concerned." Optimus said immediately. He held her hands and rested her hands on her knees firmly. He doesn't want to restrain her unless she does something very stupid.
"I had to get it out or everyone at the base will be compromised." Victoria informed him with much fear that wobbled her voice.
"Stop." Optimus never left his gaze upon her when she fought with his gripped hopelessly. "You - need - to - stopped. Victoria. Please. Look at me. You are not thinking clearly." He gripped her other hand to prevent her from harming herself to take out the tracker.
"I'm not going back to base with the tracker on." Victoria fought against his gripped once more. But Optimus wouldn't allow her to take the tracker off on her own even if she had medical knowledge and training. Her eyes welled up with tears. "I need to take it off. I know how to do it."
"And risk losing the one person I cared about most?" Optimus said quietly to her in a firm tone.
Victoria smiled at him knowingly. She gave him a kissed on his cheek. "You won't lose me, Optimus. I already made the promise I would come home to you. I know how you feel about me going to missions and you didn't like it. You even try to ground me for it." She laughed lightly and appreciated all the same how Optimus can be very protective about her.
"No. I didn't." Optimus agreed darkly about it. "Victoria. You're still bleeding from your recent operation. I don't care if you have extensive knowledge or training for medical operation. This is something I cannot allow you to risk especially when it is your own life. This is your life. You need to stop. I give you my word you will get the tracker off. I will give you a damn doctor."
"I'm not going back to base with you like this." Victoria protested reasonably. She almost sounded like she was either picking on him or else teasing him at the same time.
Optimus smiled at her knowingly. "Victoria. I will say it again. I don't plan to ground bridge anyone back to base for a peace of mind and the safety for the NEST team. I have not forgotten protocol and I know well you'd taken the security very seriously."
Victoria sighed with much relief. "Silas made it damn clear to me when I was trapped earlier, before I was operated...he said or one of them said: I am the way to reveal your base location."
"No one will go back to base until everyone have the tracker off your necks." Optimus reminded her once more. "Dreadwing already told me about your circumstances. He told me everything. That does not mean I am not at all keen to leave you behind." Optimus promised her firmly.
"How did you manage to find me?" Victoria wondered. "And where are we all going if you're not bridging us back to base?"
"I promised we will talk later properly. First. Understand this, Victoria. I want you to get out of here with Dreadwing and Dr Kyrie Welsh." Optimus said seriously. His eyes became suddenly stern to her. "I want you to stay with Dreadwing a little while longer because I am taking Silas with me back to NEST and leave him in charge with Ironhide and William Lennox."
"Uhm...Optimus, with all due respect, I don't think is a very good idea at all to leave Will and Silas in the same room together. You know what my mentor is like..." said Victoria uneasily. "He's just as bad as you are." She teased him lightly with a bright smile.
"It's because we both care more than you'd realised." Optimus sighed. "I have full confidence in Major Lennox that he will handle the matter in professional courtesy."
Victoria made a face at him and bit back a laughed that threatened to escaped from her lips. She knew Will all too well that she was very certain her mentor would definitely give Silas a punch in the face. This time, she didn't argue with Optimus but she was very certain the office at NEST is going to be very messy the next time she'd returned there. She trust Optimus because even he lead the men into victory not just his own comrades at Cybertron to win the war against the Decepticons. He helped the NEST soldiers to win the war too.
"Okay. But just keep an eye out for Will for me?" Victoria requested. "I got a feeling he might do something stupid."
"I will. If he needs to be restrained, you have my word I will keep an eye out for him. Rest assured, Ironhide and Sideswipe will be there." Optimus assured her. "Major Lennox deserved to know who is responsible."
Victoria nodded. "Thank you, Optimus." She looked grateful. "He does..." She agreed with him fully.
"I promised. We'll see each other very soon." Optimus kissed her on the cheek and smooth her back with his hand.
"I know we will. Be safe, Optimus."
"And as to you, my dear. Don't do anything stupid until I get back. You hear me? I don't want to have to benched you." Optimus said sternly.
"You would have benched me anyway." Victoria teased him back lightly in a playful manner.
Optimus chuckled in returned. He almost wanted to kissed her on the lips just now but restrained himself due to work boundaries reasons between them. They had always been complicated. They knew it since the start when they became very close to heart with each other. Victoria simply wrapped her arms around his waist and threw her arms around his waist. She nodded and reluctantly let him go. Optimus gently gripped her hand once then went back to the room. Victoria watched Optimus explained to Dreadwing to quietly. Dreadwing nodded at him. They were both speaking in their own Cybertronian language and even exchanged a hand shake at each other.
That moment, Victoria thought she had seen her own husband fidgeted his hand in his pocket what she felt was a device in his hand. She knew him. He'd always have a spare or something worse. She wanted to know. What was the device that he had for awhile? She was very distracted at what her own husband is currently doing while Dreadwing and Optimus was immensely in their conversation. Her focus on Leland Bishop. Her own feet seemed to moved quietly to him on its own. Silas was actually now talking to her very dangerously and his voice distracted Optimus and Dreadwing instantly. They both turned to him.
"My dear wife. When I am alone with you, I promised you, I will deliver every ounce of punishment towards you once I have my hands on you again."
Victoria felt her heart sank. She knew deep down there's no escape and had attempted several times not just hid her injuries from her own guardian but knew exactly what Silas meant. She didn't respond to his statement. She didn't need to because Dreadwing reacted first. He roared at him and even raised a fist at the former colonel. Optimus heard it. He desperately wanted to find out more details from Victoria. It was a short glanced he rested his optics on her and noted she looked at the floor at Leland's remark. Optimus was quick to react towards Dreadwing.
Optimus pulled Dreadwing all the way back. If he didn't restrained him, Bishop would have been dead from his blow. Victoria stood in front of Silas. Her hands outstretched. Then put it down. She wanted to console the former second commander ex Con but thought better to let Optimus handle him. Optimus had his arms around him and pulled him back. Dreadwing actually stopped his struggle with the Autobot leader when he saw Victoria in front of him. Victoria looked pleadingly at the former Decepticon. Optimus looked relief when Dreadwing instantly stopped. Apparently Victoria's words have a strong impact on him.
"Dreadwing. Stopped!" Victoria called after him. "Let him say whatever he wants. Let's get Kyrie out of here. I just want a quick word with Optimus."
Dreadwing lowered his fist instantly. He glared darkly at Silas. "Very well, Agent Valorheart. I still prefer him dead by my own hands."
Dreadwing went to the room. He crouched down to Kyrie's height and even nudge her gently on her back with his finger. No response at all. The former ex Decepticon gently picked her up with his metal hand when she made no response and still remained unconscious. He even carried her in his metal arms with his other free servo over his human partner in a protective manner. Dreadwing noticed the criss-cross scar on her face. It wasn't there before and he'd suspected was from her unknown power that expelled from her. Her own powers actually wounded her.
Victoria watched him leave the room. Half of her wanted to go back to the room where her husband was and half of her wanted to yank the device in Silas pocket. She knew there was no way that she can investigate if there is a high chance the colonel will choke her for the second time. But, the former female agent wouldn't put it passed him that her delusional husband had an ace up his sleeve. So they were back at the corridor, in intense conversation with one another. Optimus was at her level and knelt down with one knee. He was very watchful when he noted her eyes kept darting back to the room.
"Victoria. What's wrong?" Optimus asked gently. "I really hoped you won't be thinking about going near him." He placed a consoling metal hand on
her shoulder gently.
"No. I'm not...It's just... I wished I knew he had Kyrie this whole time..." Victoria shook her head in response then threw a look at Silas's direction. "I feel he's the one that controlled Kyrie...He always have two..."
"Victoria. There is something else you need to know during your absence. I feel you should hear from me first." He said in a trouble tone.
"You already knew...right?" Victoria guessed knowingly.
She didn't mind when Optimus took her hand into his metal ones. "I understand your reasons, Victoria. Yes, we already knew."
"I'm sorry." Victoria said immediately. Guilt rose in her heart. "Optimus. I didn't mean to keep from you, even Will." She started. Optimus placed his metal hand gently on her lips.
"You can explained afterwards." Optimus said curtly. His voice was still soft and he was very concerned. "Right now, I want you to focus to get out of here with Dreadwing. Listen to me, Victoria." His metal hand then rested on her shoulder. "Your husband -"
"He - is - not - my - husband, Optimus -" Victoria said exasperated in a bitter tone. "I don't even know what he is to me anymore...I told you before my marriage was an arrange marriage set up by my parents. I was eighteen without a choice and only for some family business because my dad knew him. He's a soldier too. I been trying to divorce from him ever since. I never wanted to be with that man. I never even wanted to marry the man."
She looked at the ground. She never told anyone this. She felt Optimus was the closest to her nor had she told anyone the way she always felt since being married. She also looked very emotional about it. Optimus saw her tears. He instantly wiped her tears gently with his digits gently.
Victoria placed the back of her hand on her lips and rested her head on her shoulders. Most of the time, whenever Victoria is with Optimus, not only does she feel safe, she felt more like her old self and more opened than she used to be and most importantly, she always felt home with him, home with Optimus.
"You did tell me." agreed Optimus, smoothing her back with his digit careful to avoid the wounds that was on her back. "I told you before you can come to me and I do not want you to feel like you're bothering me."
At that moment, Victoria privately wanted to tell him he was the true one. But, she didn't want to make it more awkward or more complicated between them than it already is and the fact that her best friend was experimented certainly changed her mind about being a wife to Silas. She felt the marriage never existed and was a laughing stock for that matter.
"Thank you, Optimus. I know. It's just that I don't even know where to begin to tell you." Victoria said gratefully.
Optimus smiled in agreement. He looked sympathetically at her. The fact that her best friend was experimented certainly changed her mind about being married to a man like Silas.
"All right. Silas it is then. He sold military personnel files to the Decepticons for knowledge of Cybertronian biology. Recent events took place of their own homes being destroyed included your mentor, Major William Lennox. Robert Epps and General Morshower."
Victoria let out a stiffen gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. "Is Will and the others okay?"
"Yes, he is. They are very safe. Will is with Ironhide," Optimus smiled broadly when Victoria sighed with much relief. "In fact, he's currently disabling the cameras in the base as we speak and downloading any information onto a flash drive."
"Will's here? I thought he took time off from work. That's what he said the last time I saw him." Victoria looked startled and silently begged that her mentor did not put her before his family. She always felt that her mentor fell for her.
"Victoria. You have to remember you have been away for three months. He did cut his leave short and brought his family to our base after his house was destroyed in courtesy by Starscream. Will told me your personnel file was the first to be sold to the Decepticons. Your file was also copied and that's why Kyrie was kidnapped in the first place. You could not have known. I do not want you to blame yourself. You hear me?" Optimus told her strictly.
Victoria was shocked. She couldn't believed her own ears that her own husband would sell her personnel file to the Decepticons. She gaped at Optimus. Hurt was clearly on her face right now. Her mouth hung opened and she allowed time to digest. She opened it once then closed it again, clearly thunderstruck at what her guardian told her. The female human turned to the room where Silas was pinned. Now, very mixed emotions in regards of her current situation. She wasn't sure what to think anymore either. Then turned back to the Autobot leader.
"What's going to happen to me now?" asked Victoria in a cautious tone.
"You'll stay with Dreadwing for now and I will meet you shortly. Do not think for a minute I will leave you by yourself at this time, not when I learned you were badly compromised." Optimus assured her in a protective manner.
"Thank you." said Victoria gratefully to him. "Are we keeping the base or is it going to be blown like last time?" She whispered in a low voice.
Optimus shook his head in answer. "No. We're not and we will be moving somewhere else now everyone is compromised. Major Lennox will explained everything to you in person."
"Why isn't he staying?" Victoria asked sharply. Her eyes widened in shocked and now very uncomfortable about the situation she's in with her mentor.
Optimus made no answer. Victoria could tell how much he'd respected her former mentor and she felt her guardian knew something personal was going on between them that she was thunderstruck. He didn't answer when she repeated her question directly which confirmed her suspicion. She was shortly interrupted by Dreadwing, who'd appeared right behind her and he offered his servo to the human girl.
"Optimus. Why isn't he staying?" Victoria demanded rather fiercely.
Optimus refused to answer that question because the question was very personal not to mentioned a very high respect he holds for Major Lennox. Her guardian merely hugged Victoria and gave her a light kissed on her forehead before he gently set her down on Dreadwing's metal hand. This was the first time that her guardian wouldn't give her a straight answer. Clearly, personal and something more.
Maybe he doesn't know and this left Victoria feeling more confused than ever. She was bit annoyed. Nevertheless, she reluctantly climbed onto Dreadwing's metal hand and he put her on his left shoulder and settled there. Victoria looked very annoyed with Optimus now. She was even more annoyed when she watched him and Dreadwing conversed in their own Cybertronian language.
"Optimus! You still haven't answered my question!" said Victoria persisted. She hold onto Dreadwing's horn on the side. "Why isn't he staying?"
Dreadwing turned to her. Optimus sighed and looked at her. "I cannot answer that, Victoria, because I made a promised to Major William Lennox. I'm sorry." Optimus told her firmly.
"Be safe, Optimus." Victoria told him. She couldn't stay mad at him for long mainly because she loved him.
"I will." Optimus nodded. "I promised I will see you soon, Victoria." He turned to Dreadwing. "Keep her safe, Dreadwing."
"All my spark, Optimus, I'll keep her very safe." Dreadwing thumped his own chassis with his knuckles.
Without so much of a warning, Dreadwing transformed into his flight mode. Optimus watched Dreadwing flew right passed him and right into the sky. He had a sense of foreboding about his human partner, but not of the former ex Decepticon, Dreadwing...
It was the fact that her files was sold to the Decepticons that highly troubled Optimus. Optimus felt very sure Dreadwing will be hunted by his old comrades and certainly will need backup from Team Prime. Then turned his attention back to the leader of MECH and take him right back to the old NEST base. He cannot delay to return to Victoria for her safety is at great peril.
The female human groaned at the front seat, instantly fasten with a seat belt. She was relief to see at least the seat she was in does have a handle for her to hold onto. Victoria felt very dizzy right now when Dreadwing does a high spin and a twirl in the air. It took her awhile to realised he was like a jet mode except a blue jet flight mode.
"Please don't do that again..." Victoria felt a wave of nauseas washed over her.
"My apologies, Agent Valorheart. You're not use to flying, are you?" Dreadwing asked curiously.
"No...I was used to sitting in Optimus's truck." Victoria agreed. "How's Kyrie?"
"She'll live, my dear." Dreadwing assured her. "Help me understand something, Agent Valorheart. How do you end up being with a man like Silas?"
Victoria smiled at Dreadwing broadly and looked at his Transformer logo on the wheel. "I didn't..." She paused thoughtfully and looked out the window, happy to see the clear blue skies in front of her. "It was an arrange marriage setup by my parents when I was eighteen years old. I wasn't given a choice."
"You always have a choice, Agent Valorheart. He doesn't deserved a woman like you. I couldn't understand how a woman like you end up being a conjunx endura to a man like Silas."
"Conjunx endura?" Victoria raised her eyebrows at him.
"You humans call it marriage." Dreadwing informed her. "You deserve a man like Optimus."
"Dreadwing. He's my guardian." Victoria chuckled at him warmly.
"Don't be a fool, Agent Valorheart. When I looked at you and Optimus, I can see the real love the both of you share together and the way I see you with him, I see you are his conjunx endura." Dreadwing told her firmly.
Victoria blushed heavily. She was very red in the face what Dreadwing said and he wasn't joking at all. "I - I can't be with him, Dreadwing. You know that. I'm human and he's a Cybertronian! It's against the law."
"Is that really a law?" Dreadwing asked uncertainly. He snorted.
"Yes. You're in love with my best friend." Victoria smirked at Dreadwing.
"Is that a crime?" Dreadwing asked a little loudly in a defensive tone.
"Personally, Dreadwing, I really don't mind at all. I think is very cute!" Victoria grinned at him and chuckled. "But...the government will looked at it differently."
"Do I look like someone who give a slag what your government thinks?" Dreadwing noted deeply in an obvious fact. "Do you not feel the same for Optimus Prime?" He supplied knowingly.
"I loved him. We're very different from one another, Dreadwing... we have been a bit complicated for awhile." Victoria admitted openly.
"So uncomplicated it or is there another person in the picture?" Dreadwing nosed in on her private life.
"You could say that." Victoria sighed. "But to be honest with you, Dreadwing, I will always choose Optimus because that's how strong I feel about him. Where are we going anyway?"
"You and Dr Kyrie Welsh will be staying at the motel. Major Lennox will meet you there." Dreadwing landed gracefully at the parking lot and open the cockpit.
"Thanks Dreadwing." Victoria smiled at him. She unbuckled the seatbelt. Then jumped down to the ground.
It was nightfall already. Dreadwing transformed and set Kyrie down ground gently. Victoria helped her into the motel room.
"Agent Valorheart."
"Yes?"
"I never gotten the opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for saving my life." Dreadwing told her genuinely.
"You're always welcome. You didn't deserve to be experimented. No one did." Victoria meant it. "Do me a favour, Dreadwing." She smiled at him warmly.
"Name it." Dreadwing knelt down to her height and rested his arms on his knees.
"Don't ever break Kyrie's heart otherwise I might have to kick your ass before Optimus can get his chance. That's all I asked." Victoria admitted sternly at him. Dreadwing chuckled.
"You have my word, Agent Valorheart. You have my word. You have my spark for that." Dreadwing promised her.
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Victoria nodded in agreement.
They were distracted by a Topkick vehicle. It was Ironhide who had arrived with her mentor, William Lennox. Will climbed out of the front seat and closed the door behind him. The military man run towards her.
"Vic!" Will pulled her to a warm hugged.
"Hey. I'm fine. I thought you were supposed to be on leave." Victoria hugged him back warmly.
"I'm really sorry." Will said genuinely and he let her go briefly. He looked it too. "Can I talk to you in private, please?"
"Yeah, sure." Victoria agreed. "Dreadwing." She pointed at Kyrie to the ex Decepticon. Then walked away with her former mentor.
Dreadwing carefully picked the female human in his arm and sat down on the ground. Victoria was a little bit uncomfortable when she found herself in the motel room with her former mentor again. This talk must be serious to even have Dr Kyrie Welsh waited with Dreadwing outside. Her mentor sat down next to her on the bed.
"Okay, Will. Talk to me. What's going on?" Victoria asked him seriously.
Will sighed. "I'm really, really sorry for what had happened between us, Victoria. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and certainly is not my intention."
"You have feelings for me." Victoria stated confidently.
"Yeah..." Will agreed with a sighed. "I'm sorry I fell for you. I'm sorry to even say that no matter how far I tried to avoid you to protect our friendship there's a part of me that will always love you. I know I shouldn't and is a mistake."
"Will..." said Victoria very slowly. He simply listened to his former student.
"Yeah..." Will gestured for her to talk. He wished he could throw his feelings against the wall or not feel anything for her at all. Victoria could tell her mentor was stressed out on a situation.
She wondered if Optimus and Will talked about her occasionally. She felt that they did. Because every time she walked in on them, they would stopped their whispers in urgent tones to one another. The mark of their respect to one another was uncanny to say the very least.
Victoria held onto his hand gently. "You saved my life. I will respect your decision because your friendship means the world to me. But I got to be honest with you, Will...I do love you...but is a different kind of love I can't explained... because I fell for Optimus..."
Will smiled at her honesty. He held her hand back. "We both knew for awhile..."
"Does Sarah know?" Victoria asked guiltily. She wondered if there was going to be a throw down between them.
"She does." Will agreed heavily. "That's why I'm sorry and it is my fault."
"You can't control who you love, Will." Victoria told him wisely.
"I supposed not..." Will agreed.
"Is that why you're not joining us at the new base?" Victoria asked him upfront. "Optimus was reluctant to tell me."
Will smiled at her last response. "Of course he is reluctant to tell you, Vic...I was trying to also protect Optimus from getting involved in my mess. He said Victoria is my mess and he said I'm his mess. He doesn't want to be involved but because of me you got involved." He laughed lightly. "I'm also actually trying to protect you from my wife. I don't want you both to be brawling at each other." He kissed her on her head.
Victoria made a face at him. "Will. I don't need to hide from your wife or to be shielded with protection. If she wants a cat fight, then bring it!"
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Will sighed. "I still won't let you meet my wife because she knows we slept with each other."
"That's my problem too!" Victoria told him fiercely. "I should have known better than to also sleep with a teacher. I kind of felt like I was just using people when my own marriage was breaking."
Will looked furious at her. "Vic! That marriage is not even a marriage! That marriage doesn't even exist and no man should even treat you that way! Does Optimus know that he's been hurting you all this time?" He asked in a guarded tone.
Victoria shook her head. "Will...do you really think is a very good idea to tell Optimus if he ever knows about what you know?" She asked obviously with her eyebrows raised.
"Doesn't he have the right to know?" Will pointed out. "He's my best friend."
"I definitely don't want him involved." Victoria pleaded with him.
"Vic... even if you don't tell him, Optimus is going to know. Are you sure you want to hide this from him?" Will advice her seriously. Victoria nodded at him.
"No." Victoria said very firmly. "I can't let him know. One day I will tell him just not right now. It's not the right time. Will. Please. Do this for me. If you really love me...please, do this for me." She pleaded him in a low voice not trusting herself at all.
Will gazed at her in her eyes. There was a very long paused. He pulled her to a warm hugged and sighed one more time. "Okay. But I'm not going to lie to Optimus if he ever asked. Deal?"
Victoria nodded and rested against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist in return. "It's a deal, Will. I promised you one day I will tell him the truth. One day...just not right now because there's some things I wanted to figure out on my own."
