When I started this about a year ago, it was jsut for funsies sake. Now ya'll are actually interested in the story that I definitely, entirely planned out in advance, I'm really happy I decided to do this.

I regret absolutely nothing. Except for the typos.

A lot happened last chapter and a few tears were shed, but this story is far from over. This chapter might be even crazier.

Once again, I can't stress enough how grateful I am for the support. This chapter is part of the story, but also pretty reflective for my style of writing.

Enjoy!

"I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it."

- Maya Angelou.

Chapter Twenty: Abnormal

I didn't need anyone to tell me that I wasn't like other Autobots. The older femmes in my old school took care of that. They hated me. They hated my power. They hated it because they didn't understand. Though I guess that's the same reason why I hated it so much.

After I'd told Bumblebee, things seemed easier. After I'd told Optimus, things seemed easier. After the Decepticons found out...well, you know the rest.

Now, I wasn't just Enhanced. I was Enhanced with the blood of Unicron the Chaos-Bringer flowing through my veins, fuelling my every move. And I couldn't have felt guiltier about it.

I wondered if this was how Cliffjumper felt after coming back. Did he even feel anything? According to what the others had told me, Cliff was nothing like Cliff. Mindless and out of control.

Still, at least I had Arcee. I had Bumblebee. I had my team.

But I'd never felt more alone.

Roughly four orns ago . . .

"Keep your head down and you might keep it!" Ironhide yelled to us, "The battlefield ain't built for weak 'Bots!"

Ultra Magnus needed two medics to get to the borders of Kaon. A dangerous task. I never would've gone if it wasn't for Red Alert. He had a tendecy to go for every mission that might result in certain doom.

I stayed close to Red as we ran through the heat of the battlefield. Explosions were setting off all around us. Shots were being fired in every direction. I looked ahead, about to ask Red Alert if he was okay when I saw a huge explosion in front of us.

We eventually made it through to the other side. Ironhide had managed to locate a cavern for us to stay in until the night passed and was currently sleeping inside. I sat outside with Red, hugging myself and slightly shaking.

Red looked over at me, "Hey, you okay?"

I nodded and forced a smile, "Y-Yeah. I love facing an energon-covered battleground first thing in the morning."

"Gotta say, I was surprised you volunteered for this mission," He admitted, "You hate danger."

I shrugged, "Of course I came along. I'm not letting you walk into a fight alone. You kinda have a tendecy to attract trouble."

He smirked, "Hey, I only attract as much trouble as you."

We both laughed, although mine was because of nervousness. He smiled at me. But his smiled quickly faltered.

"What is it?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Get down!" He yelled tackling me to the ground.

I didn't understand why. Then I saw a blast of pure fire just above us. Trying my best to stay low, I looked over to Red.

"What was that?" I asked in panic.

He shook his helm, "I don't know."

We both scrambled to our feet, turning back to where the blast had originated. I saw the culprit. A purple mech. His optics flashed orange and his servos almost glowed with power. I could see the Autobot insignia on his chassis.

He appeared to have a huge wound across his adomen, energon flowing from it.

"Who are you?!" He demanded.

Red put his servo in the air, "Hey, it's okay. We're Autobots, like you."

He shook his helm, raising his arm up to shoot, "There are no Autobots like me. Not anymore."

"Wait!" I yelled, shutting my optics in fear.

But before he could fire, an audio-receptor shattering sound broke through. Nothing happened after that. I opened my optics again to see the same mech. This time with a gaping hole in his chassis where the insignia used to be. My mouth hung open in shock, which soon morphed into horror.

We both turned back to see Ironhide standing there, holding a blaster that looked more like a missile launcher. His face barely changed from the stern expression he'd had earlier.

"Like I said," He reminded us, "The battlefield ain't built for weak 'Bots."

Present day . . .

The team was silent as we stepped through the ground bridge. Thankfully, Ratchet and Bulkhead were too wrapped up with helping Optimus to notice anything wrong. Arcee held my servo in hers as we walked through the bridge. I was grateful she hadn't said anything yet.

I momentarily glanced up to see Bumblebee and the kids standing there along with Mrs Darby, but I quickly glanced away. The ground bridge closed behind us and I instantly turned to my sister.

"I...I can't do this, 'Cee," I told her quietly.

She sighed but gave me a reasurring smile, "It's okay. No one will turn you away for it. But you can't hide this one."

My sister over-estimated how simple this was. I was no longer myself. Honestly, I didn't even feel Cybertronian anymore. Dark energon pulsed through my veins. How could the team accept this when I couldn't?

"Silver?" A voice spoke from behind me, "Are...are you alright?"

I didn't want to do this. I looked at Arcee pleadingly, but all she did was shrug. Knowing full well what this could lead to, I turned back to face him. Bee looked relatively fine, although with a bandage over his side.

"Hey, Bee," I said looking down at the floor.

Maybe he wouldn't be able to see.

"What happened? Did they hurt you?" He asked.

I closed my optics and sighed, knowing Arcee was right; there was no hiding from this. My helm raised slightly and I looked up, allowing Bumblebee to see my optics. His immediately widened.

He didn't know what to say, "Y-Your optics..."

"I know, Bee," I sighed solemnly, "A lot's changed since this morning."

Again, he hesitated, "Are you...still you?"

I shrugged, still unsure of that myself, "I don't know."

Arcee placed a servo on my shoulder. I turned back as she nodded towards the others. I understood.

"Easy, Optimus," Ratchet said from over at the med-bay, "You've been exposed to a massive amount of dark energon."

"I am not the only one," Optimus responded, glancing at me.

Of course he knew.

Everyone turned to me, as if waiting for me to speak. I didn't know what to say. Luckily, someone beat me to it.

"By the Allspark..." Ratchet murmured, mouth hanging open.

"Scrap," Bulkhead added, optics narrowed.

Jack looked confused, "Wait, what's wrong?"

I finally exhaled, ready to explain, "I wasn't fully gone when it happened. When I woke up, I didn't feel the same. I'm sorry."

There was silence for a few seconds. But apparently, not everyone's questions had been answered.

"I still don't get the big deal," Miko murmured.

Ratchet's servos balled into fists, "Dark energon. That is the 'big deal'. Silver Sun now has dark energon in her veins. If this is even her."

Arcee narrowed her optics at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We all remember what happened to Cliffjumper. And Skyquake, for that matter," The senior MO continued, "What reason do we have to believe Megatron isn't simply using her for his twisted plans?"

I decided to step in before things got ugly, "Look, you're right. I don't know what control Megatron might have over me. But I do know that he couldn't stop me from saving Optimus-"

"Raising yet another question," He interjected, "What was that power we witnessed? Obviously it's corrupted you more than you know."

"Unrelated," Optimus spoke up, "I can vouch that Silver Sun has possessed such powers long before today."

Ratchet blinked, "And you didn't think to tell us? Are you the only one who knew?"

"No, I did," Arcee admitted.

"And me," Bee raised his servo.

"I kinda knew after the monster rally arena," Miko stated smugly.

Raf shrugged, "I found out earlier today. Does that count?"

The medic scoffed in disbelief, "In short, everyone was on the inside of this secret except for Bulkhead, Jack and I."

"Actually, Arcee told me," Jack admitted.

I turned to Arcee, who just shrugged. Ratchet threw his arms in the air in exhaustion. Not knowing how to respond, I glanced away.

"What difference does now make on the past?" Arcee stepped forward, "She's an Autobot, like us."

My processor travelled back to Sigma Seven, "No...I'm not."

My sister stared at me in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I am an Autobot, but there aren't any others like me. Not anymore." I looked directly at Optimus.

He refused to meet my gaze, "I take full responsibility for what happened to the other Enhanced. And I am sorry."

I shook my helm, "What's done is done. And there's a new enemy to face now."

Once again, silence took over.

"So, Megatron found more of the dark stuff?" Jack finally broke the room's awkwardness.

Arcee nodded, "A volcano full."

"The question is 'how'," Bulkhead added.

"No," Ratchet disagreed, "The question is 'what'. As in: what in the world is the blood of Unicron doing on Earth?"

Miko tilted her head, "The 'Cons killed a unicorn?"

I knew what a unicorn was (thanks to My Little Pony). But the others just returned the statement with blank stares.

"White horse with a horn on its head?" She elaborated, "Prances around all sparkly?"

Ratchet rolled his optics, "Unicron, an ancient evil whose fossilised blood comprises the matter we call..." He briefly glanced at me, "...dark energon. As legend would have it."

Mrs Darby picked her moment to speak up, "So you're saying this 'Unicron' is some kind of Bogeyman?"

That was a new one.

"Bogeyman?" Ratchet repeated.

"Make-believe creepy guy who hides in your closet?" Miko once again explained.

Ratchet nodded and turned back to Jack's Mom, "Not exactly, Nurse Darby. Unicron is very real. Was. That is...well I do believe he once existed, I just don't subscribe to the theory that his primordial essence is the substance that now...exists within Silver Sun."

"I've heard enough," June stated, "Jack, Raf, Miko, get in the car."

"Wait, what?" Bee suddenly interjected.

Jack walked after his mom in confusion, "Why?"

"Raf was kidnapped today, and almost didn't make it out alive," Mrs Darby stated, "His family need to know what happened. His real family."

"Mom, Raf's family can't protect him. Not like they can," He gestured to the rest of us.

Optimus struggled to stand, "June, it deeply grieves me that I have failed. But I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm comes to Raf or any human ever again under my watch."

June opened the door to let Raf into the car, turning back to speak to the Prime, "Optimus, they're children. They do not belong in your world. They should be worrying about grades, prom date, pimples. Not their own survival."

"Dark energon is pouring out of the Earth," Jack stepped forward again, "I-It doesn't just do that. This could be about everyone's survival, not just ours."

"You're coming with me, all three of you," June ignored him, "And they will not be coming back."

Optimus reluctantly nodded, "I understand."

"That's it? After all we've been through together, 'see ya'?" Miko ran up to him, "What about our freedom to choose."

"That may fly on their planet, but not here," Mrs Darby reminded, "Get in."

The pink-haired girl folded her arms, "You're not my mother."

"Miko..." Bulkhead said warningly.

"Neither are you," She interrupted.

June gave up on trying to reason with her, instead turning to her son, "Well I am yours. Into the car."

My sister stepped forward, hesitant to say goodbye to another person in her life, "She is your mom."

Jack considered for a few moments, but made his decision, "I'm staying."

His mom looked in shock for a second before slamming the car door shut. Raf looked out through the window at Bee. I could see in Bumblebee's optics how much he wanted to protest against them leaving. But we couldn't just stop them from going, especially because of what happened that day.

I placed a servo on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. But it was little help. We all watched as June slammed shut the door to the car and quickly sped out of the base, Rafael gazing out of the car window.

"Prime! Do you copy?" We all turned towards the main computer.

Agent Fowler was on the main screen, apparently in a helicopter judging by his surroundings. I already knew something else was wrong.

"I hear you, Agent Fowler," Optimus walked towards the computer.

"Been watching the news?" Fowler asked rhetorically, "Mother Nature's got a twitch in her britches."

"We know about the volcano," The Autobot leader explained.

"And the quakes?" Fowler questioned, "Seven major tumblers of the exact same magnitude at the exact same time as a volcanic eruption, all over the globe. In theory, unrelated, if they hadn't happened..."

"At the exact same time," Ratchet and I said in sync.

We looked at each other for a second. At least some things didn't have to change.

Miko switched on the TV at the kid's hangout, "Check it out. More good news."

She turned the volume up for the rest of us to hear. It wasn't any better than what Fowler had told us. Tsunamis threatening the Canadian coast, lightning in the Gobi Desert, freak storms unlike any seen before. Some kind of electromagnetic disturbance was disrupting power grids on scales unseen.

It was all Unicron. What else could it possibly be?

"Don't tell me your 'Cons have built a weather machine," Fowler spoke up again.

"One that powerful? Highly unlikely," Ratchet thought for a moment.

"It has to be Unicron," I said, turning to the group, "The appearance of dark energon now can't be a coincidence. He must somehow have a connection to the Earth."

Ratchet scoffed, "Unicron was cast out millions of years ago, before any of us existed."

"Look, I-"

I couldn't finish. My optics widened as a vision forced its way in. I thought they were gone, just in my dreams. But now my processor felt like it was splitting open.

Everything around me faded into something new. I stood beside an empty desert road, The sky was clouded and grey. Up ahead, I saw a car coming. I squinted a little and recognised it. Was that Mrs Darby's car?

A rumbling noise came from above my helm. Looking up, there was lightning coming down from the dark clouds around them, attempting to hit June and Raf.

"Guys! Look out!" I tried to yell, even though they couldn't see or hear me.

It was then that my mind snapped back into reality. I blinked and was once again in the main room of the base. My right servo gripped onto the side as a means of support and my left servo clung to my helm. The pain still loomed, but I didn't have time to explain it.

"Silver?" Arcee stepped forward, "What was that?"

I shook my helm, "No time. Raf and June are in trouble."

Without saying anything else, I turned around. I was about to leave when I felt a strong servo on my shoulder stop me. Bumblebee gave me a serious look.

"You've been through enough today," He told me, "If there's something wrong, I'll go."

I sighed, "Bee-"

"Don't worry. I'll be back in no time," He gave me a half-smile under his mask.

I wanted to go with him, but knew there was no way the others would let me. Instead I just returned the expression, watching as he transformed and left.

The only thing to do was hope that he reached them in time...

I thought that was the last of things I couldn't explain. At least for that day. After checking I was okay (which of course I wasn't, but didn't want to worry them), the others moved to the med-bay to talk about the natural-disaster situation. I didn't go with them.

There was something else. I could hear it. Faint, but there. A rhythmic sound that almost resembled a sparkbeat. Almost. I wanted to ask the others if they could hear it too, but they'd only think I was crazy.

Rivers of your very lifeblood.

I blinked at hearing the voice. Careful not to seem too obvious, I glanced around. The others were around the corner in the medical bay.

Rising from the depths to become one with me.

I knew whose voice that was. The only Cybertronian crazy enough to want dark energon in his veins. But if I was hearing his thoughts in my helm, that lead to an obvious question:

Could he hear mine?

This seems like a good place to cut off and leave suspense.

Don't worry. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I've finished it (as with every chapter).

I don't know what was wrong with me today, but I just stayed at home power-writing all of these words and somehow making them form into a story.

What do you guys think of slightly-vengeful Silver? She's not full-on Arcee-style vengeful, but still has some unresolved issues with Optimus about the Enhanced.

Serious question right now: How should she proceed with the dark energon mindset? Tell the others she's hearing things or act like it's all fine (relatively speaking). I am actually looking for an answer, so please comment it.

Thanks for reading!

'Til All Are One,

GreyroseLegacy