Megatron stood behind the group of Autobots, listening in on Optimus's explanation and uncovering the crucial detail he desperately needed. A wicked smirk graces his lips before allowing his eyes to wander until landing onto an all too familiar femme. He walks over to her, taking in her features as he reaches out to grab a strand of her hair only for his hand to phase right through her.

Suddenly the memory changes and he now stood behind the four Autobots. It showed Smokescreen complaining about failing the latest mission and Lucy arousing from her meditative state. Megatron watched the memory in silence as she walked out of the training room before adding her frustration on to Smokescreen, who was now sopping wet. His brow-ridge quirked with interest at the exchange as she walked past him, and his optics caught a glimpse of a subtle grin on her face before the memory fades to black. Standing in the middle of the dark where conversations echoed throughout the area until he could hear two distinct voices talking to one another.

"Lucy, do you think I'm not good enough?" He asks.

"Smokescreen," She exhales, "Don't think so poorly of yourself. How ironic. I think of myself like that more often than you think."

"Wait—Are you serious? I've seen you in action! You have these amazing powers, it's everyone's dream of having them!"

"I know… but not so good things have happened since I gained them, however. So much pain and suffering came with it. There are people who want to use these powers of mine for their own sadistic purposes." Her voice wavered for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Hey, it's alright." She reassures him. "Although it's not easy possessing what I have, and then finding out that these powers are strongly linked with my emotions makes things so much more difficult to control. Meditation helps, for the most part, though, I'm trying my best, slowly but surely, I'll get there eventually. Yet,"

There was a pause before she rambled. "There's so much responsibility and so much pressure when everyone else expects so much from you. I don't… think I'm good enough, to be honest."

"Hey, don't say that! I've seen the way Ratchet and Optimus look at you when you're not looking, especially Ratchet, he's heads over heels for you!"

She hums in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he—Oh, scrap!"

"Smokescreen? Smokescreen!"

Then their voices faded out and he stood once again in the middle of darkness. Megatron hides his arms behind his back, waiting to be brought back from the cortical psychic patch with the biggest grin plastered on his face.

He opens his optics sitting up from the table before pushing himself off. "The power to remake Cybertron as I see fit. I will pry the other two keys from Optimus Prime's lifeless fingers. We must find the exact location of the Autobot base, patch in and tear upon Smokescreen's mind if you must."

"Me?!" Knock Out exclaimed.

"Who else?" Megatron picks up the Omega Key and then turns to face Knock Out. "Do you think I would entrust you to see this key safely to the vault containing the other one?"

With no further complaints from his medic and he makes his way towards the exit but is stopped by Knock Out.

"Pardon me, Lord Megatron, but what exactly are you planning on doing with the girl?"

Megatron remained his gaze fixated at the door where he showed off his sharp teeth as he smirked. "I have no intention of extinguishing her spark, in fact, I intend to have her standing by my side. She will make a great ally for the decepticon cause."

XXXX

It had been hours later until she finally awakened again, recognizing that she was back at base. But as she tried to lift her head she was welcomed by a strong headache. "Ugh… my head is exploding."

"Lucy, easy, you've been out quite some time after you took a direct hit from the resonance blaster." Ratchet rests his hand on her shoulder before helping her sit up from the berth.

She blinks for a few seconds and then memories of what happened came flooding back. "Smokescreen! Ratchet, where—" Ratchet pressed his index digit on her lips, to which she stared at him wide-eyed.

"He escaped the Warship unharmed, and he brought back two additional Omega Keys in our possession." He assured her before removing his digit from her lips.

"I see." A relieving smile forms on her lips. "I'm glad."

Afterwards Ratchet allowed her to leave the medical bay before grabbing his medical kit. He joined with Optimus and Bulkhead to meet up with a decepticon. Was it... Screamer or Starscream? She really should've been paying attention.

She walks down the hallways where she passed by the vaults along the way but as soon as she turns the corner she abruptly stopped in her tracks. Suddenly getting the chills and noticing the lights above her were flickering slowly. She looked over her shoulder, but no one was there to begin with. Her gut feeling told her to turn back and she gladly listened to it. As soon as she did, she stumbled upon an unfamiliar decepticon.

"Who are you? And how did you get in here?!" She demanded an answer from him, pointing her index digit at him. This further stunned the decepticon, gasping at her accusation.

"I should ask you the same question, Autobot!" Then he blinks before sputtering in disbelief. "Wait, what? But-But how-how can you see me? Did the red energon wear off already!?"

As he continued to wonder, she took in account that he was holding the three Omega Keys. She immediately went into a defensive stance, her entire body and optics glowing in a threatening manner.

"The Omega Keys. Give them back!" She growled watching him scream like a little wuss before he ran off at high speeds.

"Oh no you don't!"

She gave chase matching his speed and was catching up on him, however. He was too fast and quickly gained the upper hand as she lost sight of him when he turned the corner. In her desperation, she took flight and was nearing the main room. Amid all this she didn't even realize that all the sprinklers had gone off.

Just as she arrived at the main room, she caught a glimpse of the decepticons shadowy trail before the ground bridge closed.

"Guys there was a decepticon in here! He has the Omega Keys!" Lucy told them in a frantic tone to which Bumblebee and Smokescreen exclaimed in unison.

"What?!"

Arcee walks over to her, "How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure how." Lucy wraps her digits around her chin in thought. "If I'm not mistaken. I heard him mention something about red energon."

Just the mention of this small detail caused Arcee to grit her teeth.

"I should've known."

"Hold on a second," Smokescreen turns to face Lucy. "If he was under the influence of red energon, which by the way, allows him to move astronomically fast. How were you even able to see him much less speak with him?"

She froze, staring wide eyes at Smokescreen. "What…? But I-I saw him! I confronted him!" She threw her hands on her head in utter disbelief. "Why… I don't understand!"

As Arcee had been explaining how Lucy was able to confront Starscream to Optimus while Lucy was away from the rest. She stood right beside the hallway entrance with her back against the wall and her head hung low.

"I could've stopped him."

Everyone turned their attention to her, and she was too distraught to notice their stares.

"He was right there, and I let him get away with the Omega Keys." The defeat was evident in her voice.

Ratchet steps forward. "Lucy, this isn't your fault. You did what you could after encountering Starscream, but with him under the influence of red energon it was nothing more than a disadvantage." He tried to reassure her, but she wouldn't accept it.

She shook her head. "No. It wasn't enough."

Lucy pushes herself off the wall where she proceeds to walk towards the ground bridge.

"Lucy?" Ratchet called out to her but was ignored, which left a slight pain in his spark.

With a slight movement of her hand, the ground bridge activated, and she was already past the platform leading towards the vortex.

"Lucy wait!"

Ratchet quickened his pace and was mere inches away from grabbing her hand, when suddenly, he couldn't move his limbs.

"Don't come any closer!"

She stood there with her head hung low before mumbling. "I mean it."

Lucy turns around to face Ratchet, undoing her powers that rendered him immobilized. His hand fell to his side and stared at her worryingly while she stared at him guiltily.

"I can't keep going like this."

Everyone else remained silent, allowing her to continue as her eyes were now glued to the floor.

"I'm tired of all the violence—this war! You all expect me to help you in this dire time of need with my newfound abilities but what good comes with it if I can't even control them properly? I failed to protect Smokescreen from being taken and now Starscream has the Omega Keys because of my inability to use my powers correctly. This-This isn't even my fight—" She chokes back a pained sob, balling her fists tightly which causes her to leak energon.

Ratchet reaches out and gently grabs her wrists where he proceeds to rub his thumb soothingly on her wrists. It works and she slowly releases the tension on her hands where more energon begins to drip down to the floor.

Lucy raises her gaze and looks past Ratchet's shoulder towards Optimus. He wore a frown, but she knew from the look in his optics that he was hurting.

"I'm not worthy nor will I ever be." A singular tear slips down her cheek and watches as Optimus's eyes grow wide with his mouth slightly agape.

"Lucy, what do you mean?"

She looks back at Ratchet and then at Optimus. "Something that... I don't think I'm allowed to say."

Her hands slowly slip out of Ratchet's grip but not before wrapping her fingers over his, which he returns the gesture. She raised her gaze to meet Ratchet's pained expression, and she smiled sadly at him.

"You all did so much for me and I'm truly grateful for it. I will always cherish those moments. But I can't bear this kind of responsibility when I'm still considered a child in your optics." She averts her eyes to the side with a frown. "I'm not worthy to be an Autobot."

She pulls away from Ratchet's grasp and turns her back to them until she glances over her shoulder to look at them one more time. "I don't want you to look for me, alright? … I'm sorry… I really am."

With her final word, she looks forward and then disappears through the ground bridge.