But now it should be returned to the Decepticons again. Of course, Megatron was furious beyond measure when he learned that his precious "guest" was gone. He was so angry that he used Starscream as a punching bag. Megatron had spent months in stasis after Optimus split his head in half with his axe. His restoration had already cost Megatron enough nerves. In the meantime, Starscream had briefly seized command, but his unsuccessful attacks on the Autobots did not go unnoticed by the Decepticon leader. Of course, Starscream got a few painful slaps in return. And when Starscream tried to attack the hangar single-handedly, Megatron finally freaked out. He had literally mistaken Starscream for a soccer ball and kicked the Air Commander once across the command center. Megatron hadn't freaked out because Starscream had acted without his orders. No, it was more that Megatron saw his own plan in jeopardy. Because Megatron had ordered Soundwave to attach a tiny little bug to Miracle's pendant. This is how Megatron overheard everything that was happening on the Autobot base. Miracle hadn't noticed that until now and neither had Optimus noticed that they could be overheard. Originally, Megatron intended to use the bug to spy on the Autobots' plans. But when he found out about the special bond between Optimus and Miracle, he rubbed his hands together with a smirk: "Who would have thought I could get rid of Optimus so easily?"

His plan began to take on a new shape. He only needed the girl to destroy Optimus. But how was he supposed to get to the girl? She knew him and probably she would recognize any other Decepticon immediately. All but one. makeshift. He was the most valuable Decepticon, as Makeshift could take the form of any Cybertron. He could also imitate any voice so convincingly that the girl would hardly recognize him.

But Megatron took things slowly at first. He had to wait for the next time Optimus would leave them alone. Only then could he smuggle Makeshift into the Autobot base...

The next morning when Miracle woke up, Optimus was gone again. The pain had subsided over the course of the night and Miracle was visibly relieved. Today she decided to explore the building so as not to get lost here in the future. She was amazed at how huge this building seemed compared to the one in Washington.

She went outside to get some fresh air. She looked around in this desert-like area and was startled when suddenly a cloud of sand came towards her. She closed her eyes and crouched, as the next moment Optimus stood in his vehicle form in front of her.

"What happened?" Miracle asked.

"That pesky sand is clogging my articulators and gears," Optimus grumbled.

"Oh, I didn't know you had giant robots bring some sand to their knees."

"Miracle, you should know by now that we're not infallible. After all, you've already got me in trouble with your groping around."

"Would you like me to help you get rid of it?" Miracle asked.

Optimus slowly drove past her into the hangar. Here he transformed quite clumsily. A painful sounding crack was mixed between the hissing and metal clacking. It took a little longer than usual for Optimus to finish transforming. Miracle looked up at her partner in concern, knowing what this "special treatment" would end with. Now she first had to organize her own equipment before she could go on a mountaineering tour again. So she quickly ran across the base until she had everything together. Half an hour later, Miracle was hanging from Optimus' back by a bungee cord. Here, as on her "Special Mission," she shimmyed along his legs, armed with a brush and a flashlight tied to a lanyard around her head. In this way, she freed Optimus from the grains of sand that had lodged in his transmission and between the wheels.

Miracle was very careful this time not to take any careless steps to avoid repeating the debacle of their mission to both of them. Unfortunately, she couldn't prevent it entirely. It seemed even worse this time than on their first mission. At least for Optimus, for he didn't know whether to laugh at Miracle unintentionally tickling him again, or groan in pain because removing the grains of sand was no picnic at all. Miracle looked rather embarrassed as she carefully tried to remove a few grains of sand from between the wheels on his right leg. Optimus gasped heavily as she stuck the brush between two of his four wheels.

"Sorry," said Miracle embarrassed, "I'm careful."

"I know... that's fine..."

Miracle sighed, "It's my fault. If Megatron didn't know about my visions, we wouldn't be here."

"Don't you think you've started feeling sorry for yourself?"

"What?"

"There is no reason to apologize. Even if the situation is very delicate at the moment, I still think that without these complications we would never have met."

"Yes, yes, you're repeating yourself," Miracle said as she pulled herself up a bit on the bunjee rope.

"Just like you," Optimus said.

Miracle had reached his back now and was shining the flashlight into Optimus's circuitry.

Optimus was very careful not to make a careless move. Which isn't easy when you're as ticklish as he is. So he tried to distract himself and changed the subject.

"Do you have someone you could imagine spending your life with?"

Miracle sighed deeply. She felt sadness rising in her. A lump formed in her throat as she thought of Michael. That had been her first love, but who had left her via text message shortly after her arrival at the Autobots. She was deeply saddened but also quite angry about it. She hadn't let it show because she wasn't often able to show her feelings.

"No..."

She braced herself against Optimus' back to brush out a few grains of sand. A few images from Miracle's mind appeared in Optimus' head as he did so.

"Oh... It's still relatively fresh... I'm sorry," Optimus said.

Miracle exhaled deeply. She climbed onto Optimus' shoulder to sit on it. She looked at Optimus with a smile, "It's okay... You know... Actually, I don't need a friend or family. After all, I have you."

Optimus smiled back gently. He knew that Miracle's emotional state was often difficult for others to anticipate. But that wasn't the case for him. Because of their special connection, he knew exactly how she felt. And suddenly he felt a little melancholy too. He moved cautiously towards the hangar exit. Miracle was still perched on his shoulder, being rocked gently with every step Optimus took.

When they stood outside under the open sky, it was already dusk. Optimus paused near the hangar entrance and watched the sunset with his partner. Optimus soon felt his mood improve a little. He was sorry for reminding Miracle of something painful from her past. He decided that he would make amends, to the right time.