So i'm gonna start this with:

I lost all my files sometime in 2019 and no matter what I tried, I couldn't restore them. It really killed my desire to want to write because I had a tone of stuff noted down for all my Zelda-related stuff and it was real bummer.

I'm going to try and get a somewhat coherent schedule for 1 New Message so have a consistent upload but there will be no promises. I've always loved writing for this book and hopefully, I can find that joy again!

All previous chapters have had a facelift as well as some more tweaking on general improvements. So a refresher may be needed :)

Also! I may be changing the summary and title at some point.

Nap Time

(S1, EP10,13&14)

"Why the hell wasn't I informed!" my voice echoed within the darkened room.

The only light in the dreary, grey-walled room came from Soma's numerous running computers. It was more than sufficient enough to illuminate everything.

"Because you're compromised!" Logan snapped back, "Your history dictates your recklessness, damnit!"

"But I have the right to know!" I shrieked, angry beyond what any words could describe, "How dare you!"

"This is why we didn't tell you," Soma butt in.

I fell silent, heaving, shaking with all the adrenalin.

Logan sighed, "Look Zelda, we love you to bits but sometimes you've gotta look at it from an outside perspective. We've lost a lot to MECH. But your temerity doesn't do you any favours. You know this too."

With a hand on my shoulder, Logan sat me down, "We planned to tell you, we just don't have enough information to make any sort of move against them. Not with just us few. We've already dragged in a few CIA members to assist."

I sighed and rubbed my face, exhausted and just, exasperated.

I begrudgingly agreed with Logan's words, I could lose my temper easily, but this was one situation where I was allowed to. I was allowed to be angry, to hate MECH with all my might after all they had stolen from us.

Adan, Mia, Michael, Aria.

My parents. Other parents of those that were involved.

The D.A.A had always had a high death rate with MECH. There was no kind way to put it.

I sighed again, shame bubbling inside. I know I need to control myself better and I was without a doubt getting better but, MECH was a—tender subject. One I wasn't so easily going to drop.

My phone rang and I tugged it out, Ratchet?

"Ratchet? What's wrong?"

"We need some assistance. Agent Fowler is currently unavailable," he answered, tone apologetic.

"Alright, give me a second to get somewhere you can bridge me," I stood and turned for the door. I paused and glanced back at Logan and Soma, "Just keep me updated for Pete's sake."

Then I was out the door, slamming it closed behind me.

"What exactly happened?" I asked as I moved for the exit of the building, ignoring everyone else who walked the halls.

"We discovered an energon harvester and Optimus didn't think waiting was an option. He was proved right however, in the end, the harvester was destroyed but Miko is being held at a museum for breaking and entering," Ratchet explained. I listened as he carried on, adding more to the situation I'd been completely oblivious to while out of the silo.

"Alright, bridge me through."

The Ground Bridge portal opened, and I stepped through. Everyone bar Miko was here, and I didn't linger long, just long enough so that Ratchet could send me off again.

The back security door was open, and I stepped in, slinking my way through the place and placing the replica without an issue, grabbed Miko's dropped phone, and manoeuvred my way to the back.

Hearing voices, I followed them, knocking on the door and stepping inside to reveal both Miko and the guard.

I flashed my badge, "Special agent Zelda Larsson. The stolen property has been located and restored to museum premises," I gestured to Miko, "The girl comes with me."

Said girl stood, smiling sheepishly as she came to my side and I gave her the side eye, "You dropped your cellphone. Found it on the floor, right next to your history report."

"Thanks," she beamed.

We departed and Miko babbled, laughing nervously, "That was really good timing. I was running out of history factoids; stuff I didn't even know I knew!"

I snorted, "Maybe you should take a more active role in class, kid. The years are gonna fly by before you know it and then you'll not know what to do because you didn't put in the effort."

Miko pouted, "Now you just sound like my parents and Bulkhead."

I rolled my eyes, "Trust me, Miko, these years are important for your future."

"I know, I know," she grumbled, before begrudgingly admitting: "…I'm beginning to realise that."

Apparently being busy means I'm missing out on things happening a base, like the fact Jack and Bumblebee got into street racing. Neat. And by neat, I mean confusing but okay? I'm not going to question it, especially when Optimus had already said his piece.

Of course, then I also miss Arcee having come face to face with her worse enemy, a Cybertronian named Arachnid. Just the name had me shuddering. Spiders are the worst thing to exist.

"You've not going to believe this," Ratchet's voice had us all turning to face him, a glance at the screen showed a location highlighted, "I've just pinpointed the location of the Decepticon warship."

What? They wouldn't be so careless, would they?

"How did you penetrate their cloaking technology?" Optimus questioned.

"I didn't," Ratchet was just as confused, "I was experimenting with the variable frequency wavelengths when I stumbled upon it. Even still, their ship must be experiencing some kind of electromagnetic breach."

"With Megatron down for the count and the element of surprise..." Arcee piped up.

"We could cause some serious damage," Bulkhead added.

A secondary pinpoint with another ship popped onto the screen.

"Also on the same frequency," Ratchet's voice was full of concern, "an Autobot emergency beacon."

"The Decepticons can wait. There may be Autobots in distress," Optimus declared, "Ratchet, bring your medical kit. Zelda, you may join us if you wish."

"Yes please," I accepted. If any were injured beyond Ratchet's possibility, which means in threat of offlining, I would be the better person to heal them. It might take a lot out of me, but if the help was needed, then I wouldn't bat an eye.

The moon illuminated the ship partly buried in the large dunes, and it was clear that it had been here for a very long time. My hope sank, unless any were in a stasis pod then realistically all that was onboard were dead frames.

Still, we pushed on, cutting our way into the side of the dilapidated ship with a loud clattering sound as the piece hit the ground. It echoed before falling silent once again.

Optimus climbed inside first, followed by Ratchet and myself. Even their headlights did little to truly brighten the dank hallway.

"If they travelled in stasis mode, there may be survivors," Ratchet remarks but his tone was suggestive of his lack of belief in such.

The ship moved and we stumbled before it stabilised again. Only once we had our footing did we walk on until we reached a door, where Optimus pried it open with brute force. But the sight yanked harsh inhales from all three of us.

Dead frames rusted and pools of discoloured engeron surrounded them.

"Optimus," Ratchet cautioned, panic in his voice, "These Autobots didn't perish in the crash. They're displaying the effects of a virus. This is a plague ship!"

With hesitance and caution, Optimus stepped inside.

"Stay Zelda," Ratchet ordered, and I did so. I had no wish to get any closer, not when I could feel the echoes of pain that were felt in the room. Even after so long, those last fragments still linger, haunting the place they died.

"Don't touch anything!" Ratchet barked when Optimus got too close to a frame, "The virus could still be active."

But the ship rocked again, and I went flying—I wasn't the only one. It fell still once more, and I barely caught a glimpse of the frame and—no!

A splotch of energon dripped from a strung-up frame, landing right upon Optimus' optic.

I was on my feet, scrambling forward but I was scooped up.

"No!" Ratchet cried, holding me to his chassis, "We don't know what it will do to you, Zelda."

"But—" I squirmed but Ratchet only held me tighter.

"Optimus."

The Prime glanced up, and a distressed keen escaped me at the sight of the rust already eating away at his optic and optic lid.

"Can you stand?"

Optimus pulled himself up, stumbling and Ratchet slowly backed up, guiding him but not touching. I wiggled but Ratchet didn't let up even for a beat.

Optimus stumbled, falling into the wall and the ship shook once more. I keened.

"Easy, easy."

I wasn't sure who Ratchet was speaking to.

As soon as feet touched the sand, Ratchet was comming for a Ground Bridge.

"Cybonic plague," Ratchet announced dully, "It's only contagious if contact is made with the infected energon."

I threw myself onto Optimus' chassis at the news, curling up there and trembling as I listened to his spark. I yanked on the pain that fed through the bond, even as he tried to stifle it. I could feel his chagrin as I did as such.

Suck it up, big guy, I lobbed over corresponding emotions down the bond and got exasperation. But I couldn't even begin to imagine his pain, not when I was only feeling a fraction. A fraction that had my muscles twitching, head spinning, and just nauseous all over.

"What was a plague doing in an Autobot spaceship?" Miko asked.

"Its passengers were infected," Arcee explained, "The virus wiped out millions on Cybertron during the great war."

Ratchet explained further, "Cybonic plague was engineered in the Decepticons' biological-warfare program by Megatron himself."

"You...have a cure, don't you?" Raf questioned hesitantly.

Optimus moved and I keened softly. A servo curled around me as Optimus barely managed to speak, groaning in his pain, "N-no cure."

"Optimus, please, save your strength," Ratchet pleaded.

"Would Megatron create a disease without having a cure?" Jack asked frantically, "I mean, what if he caught it by accident?"

"It's not like we can ask Megatron, Jack. He's not exactly in any shape for a lunch meet-up," Bulkhead said.

"But," Ratchet interjected, hope in his voice, "we might be able to access the Decepticon database. For the moment, we still have a fix on their warship's location."

Arcee moved, "Bumblebee, come with."

"Arcee," Ratchet turned her, "quickly."

He activated the Ground Bridge, and both of them rushed through without another beat.

I didn't move, not when this was all I could do, "Ratchet, are you sure—"

"Yes," he snapped, then softened, "You cannot heal everything, we know this."

My eyes burnt and I sucked in a breath, my chest stuttering as I bit back a sob.

Optimus groaned, "Ratchet... Were...You?"

"No," he soothed, "Neither Zelda nor I were harmed. We are healthy."

He vented in relief, and I muffled a sob. His digits twitched around me as I didn't let up pulling at the pain. I've handled worse, I wasn't going to falter, not when Optimus needed me.

Arcee's voice came over the computer, "If it's here, I don't see it."

"Are you certain, Arcee?"

"I searched every file. Nothing."

"Well, search again! Clearly you missed something!" Ratchet yelled and I buried my face into my arms to hide my sob.

Please don't, please don't, I silently beg.

"I scanned the entire database!" Arcee growled with just as frustration and pain.

"Did you use a redundant quantum algorithm?" Ratchet asked. I knew for a fact Arcee knew how to search databases.

"Don't tell me how to research. You think you're the only one who cares about Optimus?"

Bumblebee said something I didn't catch and thankfully interrupted Arcee and Ratchet's argument.

"What is it?!" she hissed.

"What is it? What's going on?" Ratchet asked, everything went silent before Arcee gasped.

"It's Megatron! He's critical, hooked up to life support," Arcee explained, her next words suggested she was about to terminate him, "Time to finish this once and for all."

"Wait! Don't!" Ratchet jumped in with a yell. I felt his sudden eureka moment.

"One good reason—fast!" she demanded.

"Megatron may be Optimus' only hope for survival."

A beat and I blinked tired eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Does he display brain-wave activity?" he asked.

"Spiking hard. His sick mind still at work," Arcee said in disgust.

"Perfect. If a cure exists, Megatron may be the only one who knows it!"

"You must enter his brain and find it."

"Enter Megatron's brain? Ratchet, are you out of your fragging mind?" Arcee asked incredulously.

"The Decepticon laboratory should contain all the equipment you need for a cortical psychic patch," Ratchet explained.

"Ratchet!" Arcee cried, "Do you seriously think we can do that? Neither Bee nor I are medics! We've never performed this sort of thing! Can't we just haul Megatron through the ground bridge, buy us some time to figure this out?"

"Time is one thing that Optimus does not have!" Ratchet argued, "One of you must try this! I will not allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!"

"Ratchet, I would lay down my life for Optimus—anytime, anywhere," Arcee begged, "But a mind-body split without the training? That could kill us both!"

Bumblebee beeped and there was a beat of silence.

"You will?"

"Are you...sure, Bumblebee?" Raf questioned.

"Bee's the best scout there is," Bulkhead reassured.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again it was to Arcee's voice. How long had I drifted?

"Ratchet, we're ready."

"Initiate cortical psychic patch," Ratchet ordered and the screen he stood before revealed a red-hued misty bridge. The image feed was from a first person's perspective, Bumblebee's perspective.

"Communications downlink activated," Ratchet explained, "This will allow us to see and hear everything Bumblebee does while within Megatron's subconscious mind."

I drifted again, exhausted.

"—not wearing phase-displacement armor. Your eyes track my movements, so you're not a hologram. And I do not believe in spirits," Megatron's voice roused me, "So, tell me, scout, what are you?!"

I stared at the image, tuning out the world around me as Megatron demanded answers that my ears didn't pick up, ringing instead replaced it.

Whatever was happening, looked to be at least positive. I rested my eyes again, sweating and stomach churning from where I continued to pull at Optimus' pain.

"If Megatron perishes, Bumblebee's mind will remain separated from his body—forever."

"We'll lose Bumblebee and Optimus?!"

("The only way you could have entered my mind is via cortical psychic patch. But the question remains, what happened to me?!...The space bridge explosion. And yet if you're in my head, I am not one with the All-spark. So, tell me, scout, do I still function?")

"Bumblebee, we are out of time!"

("Cybonic plague? Someone besides myself is—unwell? Optimus! Such irony! But after ages of endless battle, the mighty Optimus Prime is felled by a simple virus from the distant past. And what makes you think I would save the life of my oldest enemy?")

("And just what is it that I want most, scout? Did you not see? I do slay Optimus by my own hand, at will, whenever I desire.")

"He told Megatron if he lets the plague virus destroy the real Optimus, Megatron will never get the chance to do it himself," Raf explained.

"Smart," Jack

"Twisted," Miko

I sighed, curling up tighter and the servo surrounding me hugged me close. I listened to Optimus' spark pulse, lulled.

Sighing, I roused, head pounding.

"You are one of the most stubborn femmes I've met in my entire life," Ratchet grumbled, and I peeled one eye open. He gave me the stink-eye when he saw I awake, "Zelda."

"Hey," I croaked.

"You!" He scooped me up, tangled in the blanket that I was covered with—which when did that happen?—and held me close, "You are infuriating sometimes."

"Sorry," I mumbled, still tired, stomach unsettled. I jerked, "Is—?"

"Optimus is on his way to recovery," Ratchet soothed, "He's resting in his berthroom to get some much-needed recharge. But you! Un-be-liev-able! Optimus told me what you were doing, how stupid are you?"

I keened, tears returning, "Ratchet! Please don't lecture me."

He vented, softening and holding me close, "Sometimes, I just don't know what to do with you. I adore you, sweetspark but you make my life so much more difficult with this incessant need to help where it isn't advised. You could have died; your body can only handle so much stress even with your enhancements."

I sobbed, frustrated, "I want to help, I want to do more but I can't."

"Oh Zelda," Ratchet crooned, "Easy, easy. You are perfectly fine how you are. You have brought much to this unit of ours, you are a blessing to have. Please do not continue to risk yourself so needlessly."

Ratchet couldn't stop himself from scanning Zelda every other breem. She had strained herself; pushed her limits in ways she shouldn't. Now she was right back to sleep and hadn't stirred since.

He was glad for the peace and quiet that came with the kids at school and others out doing their own things. It gave him silence to work.

He turned and scanned her again. Still improving, just exhausted. He vented.

It was getting late, and she hadn't eaten all day. So with a flicker of his holoform, he made up a glass of energon and set it on the coffee table in her little nook. Crouching to shake Zelda awake, she roused but certainly didn't want to.

"Mh, go 'way," she mumbled.

"You need to get something in you, Zelda," he informed, withholding a snort of amusement. She peeled her eyes open groggily, she winced at the light before with some effort, pushed herself up, "Then you can head back to your room, that hammock will be more comfortable than this settee."

"Okay," she sighed, and he handed her the glass.

Ratchet disengaged his holoform and turned back to the monitors. When Zelda finally stood, he scanned her one final time, getting an annoyed side-eye from the ginger.

"Ratchet."

"Your health is important. You've body has been through a lot recently, now move along, get to bed," he waved her on in shooing motion.

Zelda snorted and down the remaining dregs of the glass, before wandering down the stairs, vanishing round the corner and out of his sightline.

Ratchet vented.

Zelda isn't his only problem it turns out.

Ratchet should have expected Bumblebee to face some form of backlash from an inexperienced cortical psychic patch. The first times are always the worst, especially considering the lack of training Bumblebee had.

So, putting Bumblebee into stasis was more than welcome from the scout who'd been hearing Megatron's voice in his processor. But unfortunately, Raphael was now here, worrying about his guardian instead of being at school.

Couldn't he get a break from these kids?

"Bumblebee's complaining of intermittent visions—waking nightmares, if you will," Ratchet explained to their youngest, who stared up at Bumblebee with worry.

Raf turned with a frown, "But you said bee was fine when you checked him over?"

"Physically, he is," Ratchet shrugged, "but the experience he endured seems to be having a temporary effect on his psyche. It's not something unexpected, cortical psychic patches are only meant to be performed by professionals under the right conditions. But this induced power-down should force Bumblebee's mind to rest and recover."

"Do you know how long that may be?" Optimus questioned, watching the power-downed Bumblebee with concern.

A beeping at the computer draws them away from the discussion.

Agent Fowler appeared on the screen, "Prime... You spot any Decepticons wearing hula skirts lately?"

"No, Special Agent Fowler," Optimus vented, exasperated, "Why?"

"'Cause I was hoping you'd have a lead on the 'cons that busted into the kauai naval observatory," Fowler explained, "The place looked like it was hit by an army of wrecking balls."

"Why would 'cons break into an observatory?" Arcee questioned.

"Does the Hoit-Nikogosian ring any bells?"

"The space telescope," Raf said.

"As of last night, missing its primary lens."

Optimus frowned, "It's difficult to guess Starscream's intent without knowing where the lens has been taken."

"Good thing the lens has a tracking device."

Fowler shared the location with them, its beacon tracking its exact location which was—

"The Arctic?" Arcee drawled, unimpressed after her last experience, "Great. Another chance to freeze our spark plugs off."

When they zoomed in on the location, Bulkhead whistled at the colossal cluster of energon marked in purple, "That's a nd-7 class. Biggest unminable Energon deposit there is.

"Unminable until Starscream melts his way down to it with the help of the lens," Optimus pointed out.

Agent Fowler with worry in his voice, added: "Melting a glacier that size would cause sea levels to rise and demolish coastal cities."

Ratchet would like to reinstate that he disliked the constant chatter that filled the base normally, but with the kids…with Raf here, talking to the unconscious Bumblebee, he wanted to groan.

A glance at the clock showed how late into the day cycle it was getting, and Ratchet turned to the child.

"Rafael, I'm afraid Bumblebee can't hear you in power-down mode. It's getting late. Why don't I bridge you home to your family?"

"Because I told bee I'd stay. He's family, too."

Ratchet sighed, "I understand Rafael, I do, but it is a school day and tomorrow we cannot cover for you again. What about the worry you would cause your parents?"

Raf's chuckle lacked any sort of humour, "Sometimes I could shout, and nobody would hear me. But Bumblebee does, he always listens, and I can understand him. I'm not sure why, but I do."

Ratchet relent, "But only for another hour, understand?"

Raf beamed, "Thank you!"

Zelda finally made an appearance, Raf watching as she came stumbling into the hub with more than a touch of concern.

Ratchet tut and hurried her along to get some food into her. Raf just watched, blinking as the Autobot turned to give him a look, "Don't touch anything."

"I promise," Raf was smarter than that, he wasn't Miko. He watched Ratchet's retreating form, chuckling as he listened to Zelda sleepily chatter to the alien. He couldn't make out what exactly was said but she was evidently still half asleep.

Was that normal? He had overheard Optimus and Ratchet's concerned talk about Zelda using her 'bond' with Optimus to pull on his pain. That her body wasn't built for such stress. But their fond exasperation at her dedication to—

There was a whirling and he blinked. Raf looked up, confused then bewildered as Bumblebee came online and began walking.

"Bee? Bumblebee, wait!" he shouted, rushing after him but Raf's short legs were a disadvantage.

But Bumblebee just walked over to the Ground Bridge controls, gave coordinates and opened the portal.

Evidently, the sound of it starting up dragged Ratchet and Zelda back in time to just catch sight of Bumblebee vanishing through the waves of green and blues.

"What happened?" Ratchet demanded.

"I—I don't know!" Raf stuttered, "Bumblebee just got up and—"

"He was in power-down," Ratchet set Zelda down to turn to the controls, who moved to Raf's side, giving a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder, "Where does he think he's off to?"

With just a glance, Ratchet frowned, "These are the coordinates for the site of our previous battle with Megatron's undead."

"May—maybe we should call Optimus?" Raf stuttered as Zelda led him up the stairs.

"Optimus is busy preventing a polar ice cap from melting," she asked, then yawned, "Damn I'm tired."

"Zelda's right, we need to handle this on our own," Ratchet started up the Ground Bridge again, intent on following Bumblebee when said scout came back through.

"Bumblebee? What have you been doing?"

He didn't answer and Ratchet immediately spotted the dark energon in his servo, grabbing the scout's wrist, demanding: "Bumblebee, what are you doing?"

He gets a punch to the faceplate, sending him flying into the Ground Bridge controls.

"Ratchet!" Zelda almost leapt over the railing when Bumblebee scooped her up, "What the frag?!"

"Bee!" Rad pled.

But he could only watch in horror as Bumblebee opened another Ground Bridge and rushed through, Zelda still in his servo.

Ratchet groaned, pushing himself upright and shaking his helm, stunned by the hit to the face.

"Ratchet, are you okay?" Rad cried.

"I'm fine," he stumbled to his feet, "More importantly, are Zelda and Bumblebee? I fear the time spent in Megatron's mindscape is causing him to think like a Decepticon."

"Bee's not a 'con!"

"Agreed, but we need to find out exactly what Bumblebee intends to do with that shard," Ratchet vented, "The only one who knew of the dark energon, was Megatron."

He stilled, oh on—how didn't he think of that?!

"Bumblebee has Megatron's memories?"

"Worse!" Ratchet shook his helm, grimacing, "Megatron is occupying Bumblebee's mind."

"What?!"

"How could I have been such a fool?" Ratchet chastised, "The cortical psychic patch acted as a two-way conduit. When Bumblebee returned to his own mind, Megatron followed. And now Bumblebee—Megatron—has bridged to nearly the same coordinates Optimus used."

He fired up the Ground Bridge again, "Stay here."

"No!" Raf cried, rushing down the stairs after Ratchet, "Bumblebee needs me."

The CMO vented, rolling his optics, "Of course he does."

Still, he offered his servo for Raf to climb onto before rushing through the Ground Bridge.

Zelda was dumped onto Bumblebee's shoulder as he fought his way through the Vehicon's that saw him and open fired.

She squawked as he turned a corner sharply and nearly lost her balance. Between the fighting, she spotted Soundwave standing in a hallway watching the fight happen. He titled his helm and she shrugged.

Then he turned and left, which rude?!

But eventually, they made it to the medbay and she spotted Megatron's body and it clicked.

She ohed loudly, "Right, my brains on a go slow."

A glance at Bumblebee's face showed a cocked optical ridge and she shrugged, "I literally just slept for like forty-eight hours straight. Give me a break."

An optic roll, which again, rude much?

Megatron set her on the floor, where Zelda sat down, unsure about what the heck she was supposed to do. Surely Ratchet would try and stop whatever was happening. Maybe she could even go for another nap? Yeah, let's catch some more z's.

Without another thought, she curled up with a yawn, not even able to summon the corresponding emotions she should be feeling right now, convinced, whatever happens, will be fine in the end…yeah, it'll all be fine.

I sniffled, watching as Ratchet gave Bumblebee one final exam from my spot on Optimus' shoulder. I had been confined here since I woke up and turns out I missed quite a bit.

It's not my fault I fell asleep! What was I even supposed to do? There was no way I'd have been able to stop Megatron! I feel like a scolded child!