All right, guys, so here's the deal: after this chapter we're gonna go back in time a bit and see what happened to Hunter to get her to the point she's at, at the end of the chapter. We'll probably have a few chapters about that. Then we'll be all caught up on both story lines here and go back to Optimus and the team trying to hunt her down. Also—yay—new character introductions here! I know you were looking forward to this one, Alice! Sorry it took so long, guys.

WolfAssassin369—Yes, he scares me too.

Shadescribe—Agreed!

AllSpark Princess—It's finally here!

SunnySides—Righteous anger and righteous abuse are awesome!

I do not own Transformers or anything in relation. I only own Hunter, the Hybrid race, and any other character that you may not recognize.

Jon Wright; Determination

18

Ω Sed Absit ut ItaΩ

(So Close but So Far)

Once again Optimus read the address that was scrawled across the piece of paper held within his holoform hand before looking up and reading the numbers nailed on the house beside the front door. This was definitely the address. The Prime sighed heavily and tried to calm himself as best he could. He had no idea what was going to happen here. When Atlas had suggested going to the address of the supposed Aunt and Uncle of Hunter to see if any clues could be found there as to the girl's whereabouts, the Prime hadn't been expecting much to come of it. He'd just assumed that the address had been a false ploy to make the adoption story seem more realistic. At best he had been suspecting to find an abandoned house or something of the sort. But he certainly wasn't expecting to find this: a nice, cheerful looking house nestled in the center of a bustling little Colorado town. It definitely wasn't deserted that was for sure. The recently painted siding, manicured lawn and shrubbery, and painstakingly kept flower beds attested to that. Plus there was a vehicle in the driveway.

If there were people living here, Optimus sincerely hoped that they were in fact Hunter's aunt and uncle, or at the very least Hybrids. He really didn't want to be walking up to the door of a human family and have to come up with some plausible explanation as to why he was knocking at their door. But he'd never know with any certainty who lived here if he just sat here all day. Sending out a silent prayer to Primus, the mech opened his door and allowed his holoform to step out into the light of day. He tucked the paper into a pocket of his jacket and strode across the street, opened and stepped through the little gate of the charming, white picket-fence, up the sidewalk and onto the porch. Then he knocked pressed the doorbell.

A cheery little tune of bells went off from inside the house, followed a few seconds later by the sound of feet coming to the door. For a moment Optimus had the sensation of someone staring at him through the peephole of the door before it finally opened to reveal a girl. She looked to be around Hunter's age—maybe a year older. "She is related to Hunter." The thought processed in Optimus' mind before he even realized he was thinking it. The Prime realized he was jumping the gun by making this conclusion, but there was no help for it and he knew he had to be right. There were so many similarities between this child and his Hunter. Although definitely not as tall as Hunter, the girl most assuredly had the same slender, athletic build and pale skin-tone. Her hair, while a lighter shade than Hunter's, was red, save a single streak that appeared to be dyed blonde. And what's more, the girl did indeed possess a necklace with a Hyrbid medallion around her neck. All at once, the Prime's hopes that the people living here were actually relatives of Hunter seemed to be correct.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow and looking the large man over with both caution and curiosity.

"Yes," Optimus answered with a nod. "I am looking for Eve and Cyrus Prescott—I was told they live here."

The girl turned away and called back into the house, "Mom, it's for you."

A moment later a blonde woman joined the girl and, pushing her daughter back behind her in a protective way, stood at the opening of the door. She looked Optimus up and down guardedly. "Can I help you?" she questioned.

For a moment Optimus was thrown off guard. The girl had been wearing a Hybrid medallion, and this woman, by all rights, should have been as well since she had to be the blood-relation to Hunter. (Assuming the tradition of Earthling females taking the name of their chosen male mate had been customarily followed in both this woman's and Comet Thunder's circumstances.) And yet here she was without one. It was possible that she simply wasn't wearing it—having forgotten to put it on or some such scenario—but in Prime's experience Hybrids very rarely removed their Hybrid necklaces. It was the only way they could transform, and because you never knew when you might possibly need to do that it was always just better to wear the medallion all the time. Greasy always wore his, as did Atlas, and—save that one time—Hunter. Even the few children from Hunter's school he had met had bared the necklaces proudly about their necks, as well as the girl here. So why wasn't this woman wearing one? "Are you Eve Prescott?" the Autobot finally asked, shaking off his shock.

The woman shifted a little apprehensively and instinctively tightened her fist at her side as she nodded. "I am," she answered. She looked the Prime over again. "But who are you? And why are you here?"

"My name is Optimus Prime," the mech answered, "and I am here to speak to both you and your husband, if it is at all convenient."

"I speak for both my husband and myself when I say that we're not interested in whatever you're selling. I'm sorry, and good day." Eve began to close the door.

Optimus reached out and braced his hand against the door to stop it. "No, wait, please!" he couldn't help the desperateness that resonated in his voice. Maybe that was a good thing; Eve immediately paused and looked at him again, this time with more curiosity than wariness. "Please," the Prime repeated, "I-I am not trying to sell anything—I only ask for your help. You see… I am not human. I am from the planet, Cybertron: I know you must know of it, despite the fact that you wear no Hybrid medallion. I am a Purebred, but I mean you no ill will—I only wish to speak to you and your mate. Please," he added when he saw the hesitance in her face.

For a long moment Ever simply stood there in the half-closed door, staring into the Prime's eyes trying to see his real intentions—trying to see if he was really telling the truth or not. She could see that he was. That desperateness in his eyes was far too authentic to be anything but completely genuine. Finally she sighed and turned to address her daughter. "Ally," she murmured, "go and bring your father in out of the garden, please."

"Sure, Mom," the teen said with a nod as she turned to leave.

Eve turned back to face Optimus again and opened the door wide. "Come in," she invited him with a gesture of her hand.

"Thank you," Optimus replied as he stepped through the door.

"Nice holoform, by the way." Optimus gave her a surprised look and she explained, "I've never actually seen a holoform—or a Purebed for that matter—but I've definitely heard about them and know what they are. Please, come in and have a seat. Cyrus shouldn't be too long."

And she was right. No sooner had Optimus' holoform sat in a chair and made itself comfortable than Cyrus came into the room, followed by Ally. "Hello," Cyrus greeted the Prime extending his hand, "I'm Cyrus Prescott."

Optimus quickly stood and took his offered hand, shaking it. "Optimus Prime."

"I hear you wish to speak with my wife and I," Cyrus stated, moving over to sit beside his wife on the loveseat that faced catawampus to the chair Optimus had taken up, "and to be perfectly honest with you, that rather confuses me: We don't know you and you're a Purebred. So, pray tell, what exactly does a strange Purebred such as yourself want with us?" There wasn't exactly condescension on the man's voice or hostility, just guardedness as well as genuine curiosity.

"Ally," Eve addressed the teenager before the question could be answered, "why don't you go upstairs and finish your homework?"

"I've finished it, Mom," Ally answered, the tone in her voice clearly describing her desire to stay and be a part of the conversation.

"You could double-check it," Cyrus suggested, turning to his daughter as well.

"But I…" Ally began to protest.

"Please, Sweetheart?" Eve interrupted her, raising her eyebrows in a way that meant what they were asking of her wasn't a suggestion and needed to be done.

Optimus cocked an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes as he looked back and forth between the adults and the girl. Strange. There was unmistakable tension in that dynamic, and while unpleasant, it seemed to be borne out of genuine love and desire to protect the child, though she obviously felt she didn't need such a thing. But why? What were Eve and Cyrus trying to protect Ally from? What was the secret of this family? There obviously was one—that was plain as day.

Ally drew her lips together in a thin line and went rigid, fisting her hands. A fire kindled in her exotic, two-toned eyes and for a moment it looked as though she was going to stand her ground and demand to be allowed in the conversation. But she ultimately backed down. Sighing dejectedly, the girl's posture went slack and she hung her head. "Right," she begrudgingly agreed. "I could double-check it. I probably should anyway." With that she turned to leave. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Prime," she addressed the Purebred as she left.

"The pleasure was mine, Ally," Optimus replied with a bow of his head and a warm smile that made the girl smile in turn.

The adults watched on after the girl until she had disappeared up the stairs before turning back to one another.

"I came to ask for your help," Optimus answered the previous question that had been presented to him.

"What can we help you with?" Cyrus inquired, settling in and his wife beside him.

"Well… you see… I…" the Prime sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, not quite sure how to explain it all. "I suppose I should start with the fact that ties us together," he finally decided. He then looked both Hybrid's in the eye and stated, "As I have told you, my name is Optimus Prime. I am the last of the Prime's and… well… I am the spark-father to the Fuser. She is missing."

Eve and Cyrus were quiet for a long time as they simply stared at the Prime before looking at each other in confusion. "We're very sorry to hear that," Eve assured the Purebred after a moment, "and you have our condolences, but…

"How exactly does this tie us together?" Cyrus finished for her.

Now it was Optimus' turn to sit and stare in confusion. "You… are the relatives of Comet Thunder James, are you not?" he asked.

"Comet Thunder is my brother, yes," Eve answered with a nod. "But what does this have to do with him?"

"The Fuser—Huntress Starstreaker James—is his daughter. My spark-daughter is your niece." The Prime was more than a little surprised to see the looks of complete shock on the faces of the couple. "You… were unaware of this?" he murmured.

"I haven't seen or heard from my younger brother in… years," Eve confessed apologetically. "The last time we communicated was when he announced to our family that he was engaged to be married. I never even knew the date of the wedding let alone the fact that he had a child." A worried expression came over the woman's face and she leaned forward anxiously. "Is my brother all right? Why isn't he here to speak to us himself? Is he out looking for Huntress?"

A sorrowful look shadowed Optimus' holoforms face as he suddenly realized that not only did Eve not know about Hunter, she didn't know about Comet's fate either. "I am sorry," he answered softly. "He was killed some time ago."

For a moment Eve looked surprised, then confused, before finally realization and pain set in. "Oh…." She slowly sank back into the loveseat. "I-I had… no…." Biting her lip she buried her face in her hands. Her little brother, dead? She'd always regretted not trying to reconnect with him after the rest of their family had severed ties with him, and now that guilt was just doubled.

Cyrus, gave his wife a sympathetic look and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his side. He stroked her hair as she buried her face into his shoulder. "What about the woman Comet Thunder married?" he inquired, turning back to the Prime. "Is she…."

"I am afraid that Quinn has passed as well," Optimus remarked remorsefully. Being the bearer of bad news to this family wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when he came here. "I am sorry." The Prime sat quietly for a moment, allowing them to process the information and come to grips with what had happened.

"You…" Eve croaked after a moment, sniffling slightly and quickly wiping her eyes, "… you said that our niece was missing."

"Yes," Optimus responded. "Hunter has been missing for about a week now. I came here in the hope that you might be able to supply me with information that might help us to find her."

"We can try," Cyrus offered sounding a bit doubtful. "How did you find us? How did you even come to know about us when we didn't even know about you or our niece?"

"I was given your names and address by a man that claimed to be with Child Services. You see I was in preparation of legally adopting Hunter as my daughter when a man claiming to be named Trent Jacobs arrived and informed us that that Hunter was to be adopted by her relatives."

"Us," Cyrus concluded.

Optimus nodded.

"We've never applied to adopt anyone, let alone our niece," Eve stated. "How could we when we didn't even know she existed?"

"We realized that," Optimus remarked, "but by then it was too late. Hunter was abducted and we were helpless to stop it. That is why I'm here now." He looked intently into the faces of the Hybrid couple, silently pleading with them for their help. "To be honest I had doubts that you existed, or that you were even who you were claimed to be, but now I realize that what we were told was not entirely a lie. And I can only hope that you can help me in any possible way. Do you have any idea who might be responsible for this?"

"Well, considering Hunter's the Fuser," Cyrus sighed, "I'd say it could be just about anyone. There are lots of characters out there who would love to have the kind of power she possesses at their disposal."

"You are correct," Optimus conceded with a nod, "but fortunately I do possess some evidence that could help us narrow our search." The Prime reached into a pocket of his holoform jacket and produced a picture. "Her abduction was not the first time Hunter had encountered this group," he proclaimed. "About two weeks before while she was at school she was attacked by a different group of Hybrids that bared the same symbol as those who abducted her." Reaching out he placed the photo on the coffee table and slid it towards the couple. "This is the symbol: two crescent moons—one red and one black—facing each other. Is it at all familiar to you?"

Eve and Cyrus had barely even looked at the picture before they answered, "Yes."

"You do."

Eve nodded in further confirmation. "I grew up under that symbol," she declared. "In fact we both did. It's the symbol of my mother's cult—The Lunation."

"Is it powerful?" Optimus questioned.

"Very," Cyrus answered. "In the past there have been confrontations with the cult and the Hybrid military. The Lunation has been able to hold its own against if not triumph over the military each time: The members of the cult are highly trained and capable warriors."

"Which is why I doubt The Lunation are the ones who took Hunter," Eve confessed, giving Optimus a regretful gaze.

"Why do you say that?" Optimus asked.

"With as powerful and dangerous as The Lunation is, I find it very hard to believe that it would take them two attempts to kidnap the Fuser, despite how powerful she is or the situation they were put in. And apart from that, there is great incentive for success. My mother does not… tolerate failure well. When my brother and I were children it wasn't uncommon for us to be punished severely for something as simple as a grammar mistake. If a squad of Field Acolytes was sent out to retrieve Hunter and returned empty-handed… well, let's just say that there are worse things than death."

"To be honest, I'm not sure many from the first ambush returned to your mother," Optimus stated. "Many of them were either killed or badly injured."

"Another reason The Lunation's involvement is doubtful," Cyrus commented. "The Fuser may have been able to take out a few, but an entire squad?"

"She did have assistance," Optimus remarked.

"Well, then the Field Acolytes have taken a great fall since my day as a member among them" Cyrus shook his head. "Field Acolytes don't fall, and they don't fail. They succeed by whatever means necessary."

"Even if the scenario seems unlikely, what of the symbol?" the Prime questioned. "You said yourself that it is the symbol of the cult. Is this not evidence enough to hold them accountable?"

"Yes and no," Eve sighed. "It's without a doubt the Lunation symbol, yes, but symbols can easily be imitated and used by others who are not in reality affiliated with those it comes from. The symbol could have been used by those who admire my mother's cult and want to be a part of it. Or even by those who wish to falsely accuse The Lunation of this crime."

"But the magic…" Optimus began.

"Is not exclusive to the members of The Lunation," Cyrus interrupted him. "Magic is as much a recognized power among our race as anything else. The Hybrids who decide to join the cult naturally have the ability—it's a requirement to join: magic is not bestowed upon them when they join."

Optimus cursed to himself. The evidence they had before them right now seemed sufficient enough to place the blame of Hunter's abduction on The Lunation, and he couldn't see how anyone else would be able to sincerely doubt it, yet Eve and Cyrus were determined that this was the doing of the cult. And it didn't seem as though they were trying to cover for The Lunation either; they genuinely seemed certain that Hunter's abduction had been carried out by someone else. But who else could it possibly be? What other evidence did he possess to prove that this was, in fact, The Lunation's doing? That's when he remembered. "Luna," he announced the name, watching both Eve's and Cyrus' faces carefully as he said it. "The man that was hired to deliver Hunter to her abductors said that the woman who had hired him was named 'Luna'." He watched as the two of them shared a look before asking, "That is your mother's name, isn't it?" The Prime already knew he was correct.

"It's a common name," Eve stated. "Lots of Hybrid's have that name, not to mention humans as well."

"But it is your mother's name," Optimus declared. "And the symbol these Hybrids bared is that of her cult. That seems to be condemning proof of her hand in all of this."

The Hybrid female sighed heavily and shook her blonde head in denial. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I truly am sorry, but I just don't believe that this was my mother's doing."

"And why is that?"

Eve gave the Autobot a hard look as she pressed her lips together in a determined line. "Because my mother is no longer on this planet," she proclaimed. "She was banished from Earth five years ago by the King and Hybrid Council: for what reason I don't know and I don't much care to know. And she took our son with her; she brainwashed and stole him from us! Just as she does with almost every other poor, unfortunate soul that's gullible enough to join her ranks and believe her lies. I have avoided my mother for many years now, Mr. Prime. I don't have any sort of affinity for her and I don't much enjoy discussing her.

"You asked if we might have any idea who abducted Hunter and I don't believe we do. Perhaps the evidence points to my mother but with every fiber of my being I don't believe for a minute that she was the one behind this. How could she be? With any luck she's lost in space somewhere, far away from this planet and never coming back."

"And what if you're wrong?" Optimus challenged, returning the woman's hard gaze. "What if it is your mother who is behind this? What if she has returned?"

"I find it very hard to believe that she would," Eve snorted skeptically.

"But what if she has?" Optimus repeated the question slowly.

For a long moment Eve was silent, studying the Purebred's holoform as she tried to get her temper under control. All this talk of her mother, and the implication that she might actually be back on Earth's surface, had put the woman on edge. "If she has returned to Earth," Eve forced out slowly, trying to keep he self in check, "then I sincerely hope that when you said 'goodbye' to your spark-daughter you made sure to tell her how much you loved her, Optimus Prime. Because mark my words when I say that you will never see her again."

"Thank you very much for speaking with me," Optimus replied as he walked out the front door of the Prescott's home. He turned to face Cyrus once more and shake his hand.

"I only wish we could have helped you find your spark-daughter," Cyrus sighed, a sympathetic look on his face.

"You continue to say "my spark-daughter"," Optimus pointed out, "and you are correct—Hunter is my spark-daughter—but she is your niece as well."

"Yeah… it's gonna take a while to wrap our heads around that."

"I suppose that is understandable. I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that Hunter indeed has living family."

"Do you really believe it was The Lunation that took her?" Cyrus questioned.

Optimus was quiet for a moment, once again going over all the evidence he had and the new information he'd just learned in his head. Then he nodded. "I do," he admitted. "Perhaps you're right; perhaps it is not the cult and it was in fact someone else trying to make it appear that way—but I must believe what the evidence and what my instincts tell me. It's all the hope I have."

"You actually think you can get Hunter back if it was the cult?" The Hybrid male sounded very skeptical.

"I have to try," came the response. "Hunter is my daughter—my little girl—whom I love more than I ever have anything or anyone else in the universe. She is out there somewhere alone, and she needs me. I promised I would always find her, and that is what I have to do. For her: for the universe: for everyone."

"Well, good luck to you, Optimus Prime. And Godspeed." With that the door closed and Optimus was left by his lonesome out on the front porch.

Sighing heavily, the Prime hung his head, shoved his hands in the jacket of his coat, turned, and began to recede down the sidewalk towards his truck form. He had just closed the yard gate when suddenly….

"Mr. Prime?"

Letting out a startled yelp and a Cybertronian swear, Optimus' holoform stumbled away from the gate and wheeled around, looking for the owner of the voice he'd just heard. Or… had he heard it? Someone had indeed called his name but… the voice seemed to have been speaking directly to his… mind?

"Mr. Prime, up here," the voice came again.

A little suspicious, Optimus cautiously looked up in the direction of the house until he saw Ally standing at her window, watching him through the glass. All he could so was stare in inquisitively. How on earth was she speaking to him from her current position?

"Telepathy," the girl answered his non-verbal question, "that's how I'm speaking to you from here. You can do the same—just think what you want to say and I can read it in your thoughts."

"You heard the conversation your parents and I had, did you not?" Optimus thought out the inquiry, raising an eyebrow.

Ally nodded her head. "I did."

Optimus couldn't help the smirk that curled his holoform's lips. "You eavesdropped," it was an accusation, but it was most definitely an amused accusation.

Ally's cheeks suddenly flushed and she ducked her head sheepishly. "No! I didn't eavesdrop! It's just… kinda hard to not hear conversations occurring in the same household when you're a Hybrid."

Optimus audibly chuckled, shaking his head at the girl. That sounded just like something Hunter would do, though she would be more forward and upfront about it if she'd been caught.

"Is… is it true?" Ally suddenly questioned, looking back down at him and meeting his gaze. "Do I really have a cousin?"

Sighing, the Prime made a sorrowful nod.

"And she's really in trouble?"

"Yes, Alchemy, she is."

Ally was quiet for a moment and Optimus could see she was trying to wrap her head around this information and what was going on. Finally she met his eyes again. "I think you're right," she confessed. "I think you're right that my grandmother is behind this, and I think I can help you."

"I would be very appreciative of any help you have to offer," Optimus replied, "but I have no desire to put you in harm's way or to cause trouble between you and your family. They seem very adamant that this was not of your grand-creator's doing."

"Because they don't want to believe it—not that I can really blame them; Luna is seriously bad news. But because they don't wanna believe it they're blind. And they don't know what I know."

Optimus gave her an interrogating look. "And just what do you know, Alchemy?"

"Something big," the teen assured him. "Really big. I have yet to actually confirm it and make sure I'm a hundred percent right, but I'm sure I am. Meet me tomorrow in Ruby Hill Park and we can talk then."

"All right. I will meet you there." With that Optimus' holoform turned around and began heading for his truck again when Ally's voice called out to him again. Reaching his vehicular form and opening the door, the Prime stopped and turned to face the girl again.

"Is my cousin… is Hunter really the Fuser?"

"Yes, Ally. She is."

"Then we need to hurry. Because my grandmother having that much power at her fingertips… it won't end well. For anyone, much less Hunter."

The Lunar Estate;

Surrounded by a squad of security guards, Luna marched down the long, concrete hallway towards the large metal doors at the end. As they neared them the woman waved her hand and the door whooshed open, allowing them all inside. The guards stopped at the door as the sorceress continued on inside before finally coming to stop at the railing of the catwalk. She looked down. A room filled with computers and console and large glass cylindrical tanks and bustling with Hybrids lay below her. And standing in the center of it all, monitoring everything with a critical eye was her husband. "Are we ready, Ray?" she called down to her mate.

The large Hybrid male turned to meet his wife's gaze with a crooked smile. "We are," he stated with a nod. "The transition went smoothly and she's just about to wake from the previous sedative. Once she does, we'll put her into stasis."

Lunda smiled and nodded. "Good." Her gaze turned away from Ray and went up to the stasis tank situated in the very center of the room. It was full of liquid and inside it, firmly secured in place by large stabilizer attached to the bottom of the tank that encased her arms and legs up to the elbows and knees, with an oxygen mask concealing the lower half of her face, fiery red hair floating and swirling around about her, was Hunter.

For the moment she appeared to be asleep, but slowly that began to change. Her eyelids started twitching. Then her head began to move as she raised it ever so slowly. Finally her eyes fluttered open. She appeared to be dazed as she looked about her, but then the girl began to really wake up and recognize what was going on. Hunter's sapphire blue eyes went wild with fury and there was a muted sound that was an unmistakable roar of rage as she began to thrash and strain against her bonds trying to get loose. A flurry of bubbles rose up from the oxygen mask as her breath picked up and the sound of the heart monitor on one of the computers began to speed up wildly. Suddenly one of the stabilizers around Hunter's arms cracked.

"Now!" Ray bellowed.

One of the Hybrid's sitting at a computer slammed his fist down on a big red button and a quiet hiss was heard. The liquid in the stasis tank slowly began to turn a pale green as the anesthesia was released into it. For a while Hunter continued to thrash and strain, the crack in the stabilizer growing larger, but then slowly the sedative began to absorb through her skin and into her system and she started to slow down. Her straining became less. Her spark- and respiratory rates came down and evened out. She began to relax. Finally her eyes closed and she slumped in her restraints, only held up by the bubbling liquid surrounding her. Completely anesthetized. Another button was pushed and the stabilizers holding her in place loosened around her limbs and sank back down into the bottom of the tank and Hunter's limp body floated upwards a bit, suspended only by the liquid.

After a few checks of the monitors to be sure everything was doing what it was supposed to be doing, Ray turned back to his wife with a grin. "Stasis successful," he announced. "She won't be causing anymore trouble from here on out, my darling."

Eyes still on the sedated teenager, a twisted smile curled Luna's lips. "No," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. "She won't be."

REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR HYBRID QUESTIONS!