Chloe had retreated early to her quarters that night, giving the normal excuse to get out of a lecture from an Autobot. Now, she was curled up among the mess of blankets and covers on her and Jazz's berth, alone, as she fought her nightmares. But this wasn't any nightmare that haunted her. Lightning cracked across her vision, blinding her in her own dreams as she ran. She was trying to escape the darkness trying to devour and control her mind.
She turned in her sleep onto her side, her optics flickering beneath her eyelids as she tried to escape the cold dark claws in her nightmare. But she wasn't fast enough. The black metal claws closed around her, holding her in place as she struggled against them, all efforts futile.
"Let me go!" She screamed at the monster, but it didn't relent, not for a second.
"No... I wAnT tO cOmE pLaY…" said the melodic voice, sending a cold chill into Chloe's bones.
"No!" Chloe yelled, her mind being subdued and put under lock and key as Black Charade infected her mind, controlling her body once more but this time without the crude metal. Her optics snapped open and were no longer the orb-blue they used to be. Now they were ebony black with small blue rings in them near the centre, a sign that Black Charade was in control.
Chloe's subconscious mind fought hard against the chains it was under, trying to regain its original control, but failing. Black Charade was too powerful at this precise moment in time, and was already proceeding to cause destruction around the NEST base. Chloe's body was but a shell for Black Charade to control. Using it to her advantage, she sat up, looking at her surroundings with little interest before standing and moving slowly out of the room.
Her black optics didn't even need to readjust to the dim lighting of the base as she left her quarters, walking around barefoot as Black Charade looked for havoc to create. Chloe crept along the silent halls of the base, her feet making barely any noise as she went.
'No DoUbT tHeY'lL aLl Be In ThE ReC rOoM...' She thought, a sick grin plastering her face as she turned the corner into the Rec Room, quickly hiding the grin as she entered. Majority of the Autobots were gathered, Jazz among them, as they chatted and refueled. They were oblivious to Chloe's presence.
The teen quietly wandered over to the couch, still in her pyjamas, and stopped to survey the scene around her. Jazz was the closest to her, along with Prime and Ratchet. If she moved now, no doubt she'd be locked away again.
Optimus was deep in conversation with Ratchet and Jazz, the saboteur only pretending to be interested as he cast a quick glance over his shoulder, bored. It was at that point that Jazz noticed Chloe, smiling slightly at his sparkmate. But Chloe's face remained blank, pardoned of all emotions. It earned a frown from Jazz and he excused himself from the conversation to see what was up with Chloe.
"I'm fine..." She said in a monotonous tone, not looking at her bondmate for a second.
"Doesn't look that way. You sure you're okay?" he questioned gently.
"Fine." She said, her tone sharpening a bit as Chloe's real mind was released from Charade's grip. Her optics returned to their normal orb-blue as she sank down onto the couch, shaking. Jazz's concern grew and he activated his holoform, wrapping his arms around Chloe. "J... Jazz...?" Chloe said, confusion and fright in her voice, "H... How d... did I get h... here...?"
"Ya walked here..." he replied.
"N.. No I d... didn't..." Chloe said shakily, looking at Jazz with wide tainted-black optics.
"You don't remember, but you did."
"I... I... was asleep..." Chloe said uncertainly, "... then I was here..." Jazz's expression faded to neutral as he realized what had happened. He didn't respond. "Jazz...?" Chloe said, shivering slightly, "What happened?"
"I don't think ya did anything..." he said. "Just walked in here and snapped outta it."
Chloe nodded.
"Right... B... But I still don't understand..."
"I don't either, Cazz..."
Chloe nodded again, yawning.
"I'm gonna go back to bed when you do Jazz... I don't trust myself..."
"Let's go now then. You're tired..." Jazz said. Chloe gave a slow nod, almost hating the idea of going back to her quarters, even with Jazz beside her. "Come on. It'll be okay."
"I... I hope so..." Chloe said, slowly and shakily standing. Jazz deactivated his holoform and offered Chloe his hand; the girl happily climbing on and settling down against his slightly curled claws. He headed back to their quarters, keeping Chloe close to his spark. Chloe's ear was pressed against the cool metal of his chest, her own chest rising and falling slowly as she listened to his sparkbeat. He chuckled softly.
"You feelin' okay?"
"Mm... think so..." Chloe half-mumbled, content to stay there and listen forever. Jazz shook his helm and entered their quarters with a faint smile present on his faceplates. Chloe was slowly falling asleep in his hand, her optics slowly sliding shut as she tried to stay awake, not wanting to fall to the darkness' grip again. She was gently layed down on their berth before Jazz's holoform joined her.
"Go ahead and sleep Cazz... I'll be right beside you," he said.
"Mmm... Don't wanna..." Chloe said tiredly, already giving in. Jazz chuckled again.
"Sleep..."
Chloe smiled tiredly, slowly nodding as she fell into her dreams once again.
A few days passed without another occurrence of Black Charade's control. Jazz stayed quiet about what he'd seen, while Chloe was on edge, nervous about being alone in case Black Charade reared up again. When Jazz was busy, Chloe visited Alexis instead, since the Xyleon was usually alone in her quarters.
"You feelin' any better Alexis?" Chloe asked gently, curling up against a stack of papers. She received only a sound from Alexis who was curled up on her berth, practically hidden from sight under the blankets. "Alexis...?"
"No," Alexis replied. "I'm not..."
"What's wrong?"
"Life..." she sighed and sat up slowly to avoid getting a headache. She was trembling and very weak, running on almost no energy was beginning to take its toll on her. And she'd avoided telling Optimus so far. "Something wrong Chloe?" The girl paused, noticing the changes that had appeared on her friend rather drastically.
"You just... you look really ill..."
"Not what I was asking…" Alexis said. "I meant is something wrong with you or Jazz..."
"Uh... K... Kinda..." Came the quiet response, the Brit not wishing to neither worry her friend nor give away the blackouts that had happened.
"'Kinda'? Chloe, what happened?"
"J... J... Just... Well.. A while ago, I blacked out suddenly... And when I came to, I was in the Rec Room stood up by the couch... I don't understand it..." Chloe said quietly, not looking at Alexis.
"Oh... Are you okay?" Alexis asked in concern instantly. Chloe nodded slightly.
"I... think so... But I don't like it..."
"I can see why... Maybe you should see Ratchet..."
Chloe looked up in near panic.
"No! Not Ratchet!" She all but half-shouted at her friend. Alexis jumped badly at the sudden shout.
"Alright..."
"S... Sorry... Just... not Ratchet..."
"I know the feeling... I won't force you..."
Chloe nodded slowly, giving a slight sigh of relief. They lapsed into a silence. Alexis looked over at Chloe and noticed that she was acting odd.
"Chloe...?"
"F... F... Fine..." She slowly replied, her speech slowed down and distorted. In her mind she was waging another war with Black Charade's consciousness, fighting against its tainted control with all her might and yet failing. Alexis frowned and went to comm her sparkmate, scared for Chloe. The child was merely shaking as Alexis did so; her optics reverting to black with blue rings as Black Charade successfully took over again.
'TiMe To PlAy...' Black Charade thought as she took complete control and made the child stand. Alexis watched in concern and growing fear.
"I'm fine Alexis... really..."
"Are you?"
Chloe nodded, or rather, Black Charade did, and walked to the edge of the desk.
"What are you doing?" Alexis questioned.
"Hmm...? Oh... Nothing..." Chloe replied innocently, an undertone of malice in her voice. Alexis shifted further away from Chloe.
"I don't believe you at all," she said.
"Why...?" Chloe asked, sitting on the edge of the desk comfortably, her legs overhanging.
"Your actions..."
"I'm fInE..." Chloe said, her voice switching to Black Charade's for a fraction of a second before normalising. Alexis' optics widened slightly, catching the slip. Chloe coughed slightly.
"Fine... Just fine..."
"You are not," Alexis said. She glared. "Release her Black Charade." A sick grin plastered itself onto Chloe's face again as she laughed softly.
"So you figured it out... Clever girl..." Black Charade said in Chloe's voice.
"Release her," Alexis snapped. "Black Charade, this isn't some sick joke. Let her go."
"Why?" She said, mimicking Chloe's childish tone as often used when Chloe was curious.
"Please. Just release her. You cause havoc and fear, something we don't need here," Alexis said, a very slight waver in her voice at the personality trait Black Charade was copying from her friend.
"Mmm... Why?" She said again, keeping the childish tone in her voice, "its fun to cause havoc and fear amongst you all..."
"It's cruel. We have enough to deal with without you adding to it! Besides, you harm Chloe. Just... stop."
"How do I harm her? Her mind is safely locked up..." Black Charade said innocently, a sweet smile taking the place of the insane, sick grin.
"Just let her go!" Alexis shouted, having had enough of Black Charade.
"Aw..." Black Charade whined, but not giving up the child's mind at all. Alexis gave up. Her vision was starting to blur, and she was feeling disoriented.
"I hate you..." she hissed at Black Charade.
"Love you too~" She sang in a childish manner, grinning as she picked up on Alexis' state.
"Go away Black Charade. You don't belong here."
As if Alexis had spoken the magic words, Black Charade's hold over Chloe was relinquished and the girl's optics faded back to blue. Alexis sighed, unsure of whether or not to trust Chloe, and looked away.
"A... Alexis...?" Chloe said finally, rubbing her optics as she looked at her friend. Alexis' optics flickered off and she closed them.
"Mhm?"
"I... I'm sorry... I did it again..."
"Mhm," Alexis layed down again. "She's back..." Chloe winced, moving away from the edge of the desk again. "She's taking control again..."
"I.. I'm sorry..."
"Not your fault... Don't apologize..."
"I just... I don't mean for it to happen..."
"I know," Alexis said. She sighed. "She will always be a threat when it comes to you. It looks like you can never get away from her..." Chloe nodded slowly, curling up against a stack of paper again. "Are you alright?"
"I... I think so..."
Whatever Alexis had planned to say was lost as the door to her quarters opened. She got to her feet and sighed as Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Jazz entered the room. Chloe's head snapped up, fright obvious in her blue optics as she back away behind a stack of datapads.
"Please don't let them get me..."
Alexis was the only one close enough to hear. She had already planned on keeping Chloe hidden.
"Hello mechs, something I can do for you?" she asked kindly.
"We just need a little word with Chloe... Nothing major..." Ratchet stated calmly.
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that."
"Really? Because we received information that she'd be in here..." Ratchet replied, his hands on his hips in a very feminine way.
"Then your information's incorrect. She's not here," Alexis said.
"Of course..." Ratchet said, not believing the carrying Xyleon for a second. She rolled her optics in annoyance.
"She's not."
Ratchet sighed.
"We just need to talk to her..."
"Why don't you believe me Ratchet?"
"Because this is urgent that we talk to her, Alexis." Prime spoke up finally. She only glanced at him.
"What about?"
"Black Charade." Jazz said, knowing the other three wouldn't say.
Alexis stiffened.
"Have you found something?" she asked.
"Ratch' reckons he has, but he ain't so sure…" Ironhide said.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. So we jus' wanna talk to her..."
Alexis fell silent, feeling weary and torn, unsure of whether or not to reveal Chloe. Her exhausted processor was having trouble sorting through the facts to make the right choice. She looked between the Autobots with dimmed optics before she leaned against the berth beside her slightly, statis creeping up on her mind like a hunter stalking its prey.
"No..." she whispered. Her optics flashed red, startling the Autobots in the room before she dropped to her knees. She was trembling and a grey hue had entered her skin. Optimus was the only one who was mech enough to approach, slowly kneeling and helping Alexis to stand.
"Take it easy, Alexis..." he almost pleaded, his aqua-blue optics full of concern. She looked up at him, suddenly terrified.
"I-I thought..." she started to say but trailed off when words failed her.
"What? Thought what?" He said gently, staying close to his bondmate. She couldn't finish for statis lock took hold and she fell unconscious. Optimus swiftly caught her in his arms, carefully and gently laying her back down on the berth.
"Cazz, come out..." Jazz pleaded.
"No..."
"Please… don't make us find you…"
~I don't wanna come out... You'll just hurt me... ~
~I'd never hurt you Cazz!~
~They will!~
~They just wanna help ya...~
"No they don't!" Chloe shouted aloud, finally giving away her hiding place as well as startling the mechs in the room. Ironhide moved forward, snatching Chloe off where she was hidden and knocking one of Alexis' datapads off the desk. The screen shattered upon hitting the ground but he ignored it.
"Are you insane?!" Ratchet yelled at Ironhide.
"Nope! I just wanna get this sorted already!" Ironhide shouted back. A scream was drawn from the teenager at suddenly being snatched up into cold black metal hands as her optics flashed a dangerous red and black as a loophole was opened in her mind that was just enough to allow Black Charade through.
Ratchet growled in anger and frustration, aware of the fact Black Charade would likely make an appearance because of the brute's lack of patience. Ironhide growled back, almost tightening his grip around the Briton as his anger increased.
"E-easy!" Jazz put in, his frightened optics on his bondmate. "Don't hurt her..."
Ironhide forced himself to calm down, loosening his grip as he did so. Chloe fell limp in his hands, panting as Black Charade started her relentless torture again with snippets and sharp jagged slices of past memories.
"Get her to Medbay," Ratchet ordered, his voice tainted with anger at Ironhide. He then turned to Optimus and that anger slipped out of his tone. "You should probably bring Alexis there as well Prime."
Ironhide was escorted to Medbay by Jazz, his visor flashing in concern for his bondmate. Optimus nodded and carefully picked Alexis up again bridal style.
"Why am I always surrounded by idiots that think violence is the answer to everything?" Ratchet wondered aloud. He vented a sigh and waited for his leader. Optimus soon joined the medic as they headed to Medbay together, Ratchet dreading the kind of scene they could possibly be met with once there.
"I thought that would have worked," the medic mumbled softly as they walked, glancing over at Alexis very briefly. He frowned. "It should have..."
"What would've?"
Ratchet jumped having completely forgotten his friend's presence while lost in his thoughts.
"What would have worked?" Optimus repeated.
"'Should have'," Ratchet corrected. "Alexis was missing a personality chip. Returning it to her processor should have reversed the effects of whatever Megatron did to her. Unfortunately, it seems I was wrong. It didn't work."
"Oh... Wonderful..." Optimus said wearily.
"There may be a positive to this, Prime... Though I don't know if it bodes well for your sparkmate..." Ratchet stated.
"Double wonderful…"
"What if... Megatron had tried again with Black Charade?"
"... What?"
Ratchet pulled Optimus to a stop.
"What if Megatron tried to recreate Black Charade? Possibly even perfecting it. And he used the program on Alexis," he said. Optimus stared at the CMO. "What? It's possible, and nothing I've found disproves the theory."
"Oh joy."
"This may be a good thing!" Ratchet stated, something like excitement slipping into his voice.
"How could this be a good thing?!"
Ratchet winced.
"Has Alexis been refueling regularly?" he asked on a different but related topic.
"..." Optimus fell silent, for he hadn't been checking if Alexis had been refueling at all recently. It made Ratchet sigh in frustration.
"You don't know, do you?"
"... No"
"You're supposed to Prime," Ratchet said as if he was scolding a youngling. "The most recent time we've seen anything related to the violent personality she had from Megatron's tampering was right before she collapsed. If I'm right, and I know I am, the only reason it showed through was because she'd run out of energy and whatever was suppressing the program failed. This could unlock how to remove the threat of Black Charade altogether."
Optimus gave a slow nod.
"Now do you see why this could be a good thing?"
Optimus gave another nod. Finally Ratchet nodded himself, and started to walk again.
Within moments the two reached Medbay and Ratchet was hesitant to open the door, afraid his clean work area would be destroyed. Optimus couldn't hear any arguing, or in fact any talking for that matter, from within Medbay. They exchanged a glance before Ratchet finally opened the door, stepping inside. Optimus followed soon after, careful of Alexis' limp form in his arms.
"Where are they?" Ratchet questioned in a deadly quiet voice.
Optimus shook his head. "I don't know Ratchet..."
"Put her down Prime, and come help me find those slaggin' idiots."
Optimus nodded and complied setting the Xyleon down on the berth very carefully before stepping away and going with Ratchet to look for their missing friends.
Chloe kept on running, her pace never slowing for a second despite her stamina running out rapidly. On their way to Medbay, Jazz had forced Ironhide to let his bondmate go but had ended up getting a bit of out of hand. While Jazz had successfully gotten Ironhide to let Chloe go, Black Charade had already taken control and she had sped off as soon as she dropped to the floor.
Now Chloe was speeding past numerous soldiers and Autobots, never running into anyone as she ran. Jazz and Ironhide were to catch up without crushing the soldiers or flattening the Autobots. So far they hadn't had any luck in catching up to her but they weren't giving up.
Chloe rounded another corner and ran into one of the government officials, Director Charlotte Mearing. Director Mearing had only recently arrived to take over the role Galloway had been forced out of by the Autobots and soldiers. Chloe half screamed as she and Mearing were sent crashing to the ground, both of them startled beyond belief. Chloe however didn't falter for a second, getting up and running off again until one of Mearing's 'bodyguards' caught her.
"Let me go!"
"No way you're gettin' away again!" Ironhide shouted as he slowed to a walk. He went to pick her up but Jazz shoved him aside, gently taking Chloe into one of his hands. Chloe freaked out instantly, struggling against Jazz's grip as she wasn't in the right mindset at all. Mearing finally climbed back to her feet, stumbling slightly on her high heels, and glared at the Autobots.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded in anger. Chloe was screaming curses at Jazz, Ironhide and Director Mearing as she fought her way out of Jazz's grip and fell back to the floor, her blue optics wide as an owl's eyes as she backed away from them all. Insanity was slowly creeping up on her again.
"Chloe please... calm down," Jazz pleaded weakly, knowing his attempts were futile at best. Chloe's newly-repaired vocaliser gave a sickening crack as it shut off, its insides melted and abused at all her screaming, and cut her of suddenly until all she was left doing was mouthing the curses silently. Jazz could only wince in sympathy.
Mearing was looking back and forth, clearly unimpressed, between the two bondmates as Chloe slowly calmed down and tried to reboot her vocaliser. Chloe finally calmed down, her vocaliser rebooting, as Mearing started to assert her power.
"I want to see whoever the heck is in charge of this dysfunctional team right now!" she demanded, glaring back and forth between everyone present. Chloe glared.
"And what gives you the right to come barging in here like you own the fraggin' place?" she replied, her attitude coming out to play despite the raw sounding cracks and static of her vocaliser.
"Chloe, stand down," a new voice broke in. They all turned to face Optimus as he and Ratchet walked up.
"I will not! She is not in charge! You are Prime!" Chloe said, her vocaliser straining to keep up, missing out some parts of her words as it was put to yet more abuse. Optimus sighed.
"What is the problem here, Director?" he asked.
"This... highly dysfunctional teen has just come crashing into me while two of your team have been chasing her down. Clearly you aren't running a tight enough ship!" Mearing said, dusting herself down in anger.
"Excuse me?! Who the heck gives you the right to speak like that to Prime?!" Chloe said again, coughing up small spatters of Energon violently as her vocaliser protested to the abuse.
"Chloe stop..." Jazz said gently.
"The situation concerning Chloe is one I will look into. A warning, Director, would be to watch where you're walking. That I cannot help you with," Optimus stated. Mearing merely growled.
"I'm sorry Prime, but perhaps you ought to keep better track of where your... allies... are running amuck... After all, it would be a shame if I were to have to close you down. And to answer your question with a question, child, who gave you the right to be here?" Mearing retorted.
"How about Prime and Jazz when they saved my aft from the Cons who probably wouldn't hesitate to kill you upon sight like I know I probably would?" Chloe said, giving Mearing a lot of attitude. Jazz carefully snatched Chloe up off the ground, heading to Medbay to keep her from getting in worse trouble.
"I was dealing with another issue that required my immediate attention," Optimus replied. Chloe yelped and instantly clung to Jazz's claws, shaking at the sudden movement. Mearing nodded, if in disapproval at the Prime's answer.
"I can't be in all places at once. I need to get back to what I was doing before this," Optimus said as he watched Ratchet leave. Mearing glowered before demanding to see Major Lennox. Optimus vented tiredly and turned, leaving the soldiers. In a minute or two, Lennox arrived to speak to Mearing.
"So you're allegedly in charge of this run-down, highly useless team?"
"They're not 'run-down' or 'useless', but yes, I'm in charge of human division," Lennox replied.
"Ah, at least there may be someone who is at least a little bit sane... Now, Agent Lennox, I want a word in private." Mearing said, her eyes narrowed slightly.
Lennox nodded, trying his level best to stay professional.
"Yes ma'am."
Mearing gestured for Lennox to lead the way to his office, her assistant following swiftly behind.
Optimus reached Medbay in time to see Ratchet start up a few scans to see what could be done to help Chloe both through ridding her of Black Charade and repairing her vocaliser. Again. Chloe coughed violently again, coughing up a bit more Energon than last time onto her jeans as she held her throat. The Autobot leader moved over to his sparkmate's side, staying out of the situation with Chloe for the time being.
"Hold still," Ratchet said once Chloe stopped coughing. Chloe managed to hold still for long enough before another coughing fit took over.
"R-Ratch... W-what's she d-doing?" Chloe said, referring to Black Charade. Ratchet frowned.
"Destroying your vocaliser by the look of it..." he said. He glanced over at Optimus and spoke to the Prime without explaining the situation to Chloe or Jazz. "I think we have no choice but to try to shut down the program by using whatever is stopping it in Alexis."
"Oh great... I feel so much safer already..." Chloe wheezed sarcastically, entering another coughing fit that was enough to make her convulse. Optimus' helm snapped up at the mention of Alexis.
"And have you worked out what it is that is doing this to Alexis?"
"I haven't gotten the chance to look. But it'll mean going into her head, Prime. I don't want to scare her..." Ratchet said, ignoring Chloe's sarcasm for the moment. He administered a dose of painkillers to help Chloe.
"Ow! Needles! Ratchet! Warning first!" Chloe yelped, rubbing her neck where he had jabbed the needle. Optimus nodded in understanding for what the medic had said. Ratchet just huffed and moved over to Alexis' side, having only had time to inject Energon into her bloodstream to try to bring her online before Optimus had arrived.
"The problem is while it will be beyond useful for Chloe, it could damage Alexis," he warned Optimus. Prime nodded again.
"Just do it Ratchet, I'm sure you can fix her afterwards with ease..." Optimus said reluctantly.
"I hope," Ratchet mumbled. He unraveled a cable from his wrist and carefully plugged in a port at the back of Alexis' head, all the while watching Optimus out of the corner of his optics. Files and data filled his vision, temporarily distracting him from the world around him. Optimus could only look on in worry, and almost fear, as he watched Ratchet fiddle around inside Alexis' head.
The medic's expression shifted from unease to pain for a moment as firewalls were thrown into place to keep him out. Even as he pressed through, she resisted. He came across her memories. He instantly wished he hadn't, for he got to see exactly what the Decepticons did to her. It was horrific. Suddenly he could she why she had been so afraid of him.
Optimus didn't dare touch the Medic or his bondmate, for he was afraid that simply by doing that it could bring harm to either one of them. All he could do was watch on as Ratchet tried to get the invaluable information.
Soon Alexis' optics flashed online and Ratchet pulled away, putting the cable away with a horrified expression.
"I have it..." he said. Optimus jumped slightly and nodded.
"Thank you..." he said as he moved back beside his bondmate. Ratchet nodded, casting a look at the badly frightened Xyleon before heading over to Chloe. Optimus instantly felt Alexis' fear over their bond and winced, trying to combat it and calm her down.
Chloe looked up at Ratchet with wide optics, one ringed with red while the other was pitch black and offline. A sign Black Charade was still wreaking havoc on her systems. Ratchet grabbed a sedative and spent a good ten minutes chasing Chloe around the Autobot berth trying to apply it to her, almost slamming his hand down and knocking her over at one point, until she finally gave up and flopped over panting. Ratchet quickly seized the opportunity and injected the exhausted girl with the sedative, earning a mewl of pain before she fell unconscious safely. Ratchet carefully moved Chloe up to where the numerous bits of equipment were set up.
As Ratchet helped their friend, Optimus was left trying to help Alexis calm down from the invasion. It had torn up every block her mind had put into place to protect her and allow her to recover, making her relive every moment of being captured. Her optics were shuttered and she clung helplessly to her sparkmate, feeling so very sick as a result of her memories.
"It'll be ok Alexis... I promise... They won't harm you again..." Optimus comforted her, or rather, tried to. She just whined, burying her face in his armour. Optimus could only stand there and continue attempting to comfort Alexis.
"W-why would they do that...?" she asked suddenly.
"Do what, Alexis?"
"Everything they did..." she looked up at Optimus.
"I don't know why..."
"Why is he so... cruel? Megatron, that is..."
"I really don't know Alexis..."
"I love you," she said, successfully changing the topic. Though with how sudden it was it shed some light on how scattered her thoughts were. Optimus blinked and frowned, no longer blaming this on the mood swings caused by carrying their sparkling. She slowly released him, finally feeling calm enough to not be practically attached to him.
"You alright now?" Optimus said gently to Alexis, studying her face for the varying emotions that could pop up. She shrugged, a neutral expression crossing her face.
"I guess so," she replied.
"Good..." Optimus said uncertainly.
"Is something wrong?"
"No no..."
Alexis frowned, nodding all the same.
"Okay... If you say so..."
Optimus nodded, his processor thinking about what Alexis could have gone through while she was with the Decepticons.
"If something's wrong, please tell me," she said gently.
"I will, Alexis, don't worry..." Optimus said, looking Alexis straight in the optics and smiling slightly. She suddenly hugged him, nodding.
"Alright..."
Optimus jumped slightly at the random hug, smiling and hugging her back.
"Love you Optimus," she said again. She blinked when Ratchet approached before darting to stand behind Optimus so he was between her and Ratchet. Optimus blinked again, his processor just barely functioning, and tried to comfort Alexis.
"Yes Ratchet?"
"Thought I should let you know it worked," Ratchet said, glancing at Alexis. He frowned but stayed focused on Optimus. Prime nodded.
"Successfully, I take it?"
"Yes," Ratchet simply replied. Optimus nodded again.
"And may I ask how you're sure of this? Or if it's permanent?"
"I found the Black Charade program in Alexis' processor and found it matched Chloe's version of it. It's been erased now from Chloe's. Although now I'm left wondering if I really did damage Alexis accidentally..."
"You better not have."
Ratchet winced.
"Have there been any changes?" he asked carefully, watching the carrying Xyleon.
"Only random changes in her personality and the topic we're talking about..." Optimus said carefully. Ratchet nodded, gaining a sheepish expression.
"Well... That proves that I have... Before you worry, it won't affect your sparkling whatsoever... Just your sparkmate."
Optimus' expression darkened.
"Can it be... reversed?"
"If there's one useful thing about a Xyleon, it's their ability to recover from just about everything. It should wear off in a few days... Until then, I suggest actually keeping an optic on her," Ratchet replied.
"Right..."
"I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to change anything. It was just hard to get through everything she set up to protect herself from herself," Ratchet explained vaguely. Optimus nodded.
"I understand..."
"I would suggest talking to her, later of course once this settles down, about what she went through."
"Of course..."
Optimus was suddenly prodded from behind by a set of claws gently digging into his sides. He turned and faced Alexis.
"Yes?"
He didn't receive a reply. Instead he was pulled into a kiss. All Ratchet could do was walk away, a smirk present on his faceplates.