This is where everything begins…
REVIEW REPLIES!
AlphaTrion3145: Thanks, Amelia!
Neon: YOU SAID IT!
haloangel21: Not my favourite song. But knock yourself out. And it was my wisdom teeth. Three impacted wisdom teeth had to be removed. It wasn't really the actual surgery that caused complications. I just had trouble with the general anesthetic (I don't react to it that well, I become hysterical). Then once I got over that, I had to deal with pain meds that would knock me out every time I took them and an antibiotic that caused the stomach trouble I've been having. Basically, for the first week, all I've been doing is what babies do. And I'll leave it at that.
storygirl99210: Neither can I and I'm writing it!
Azul the blue: I hate reading them. But I love writing them. Why is that?
Kairi-PrimeProtector: So am I.
PrincessofDreams123: Optimus will NEVER give up on his family. Hear me? NEVER! And I'm fine.
Awesomo3000: Well, Fowler has hardly any time to bond with the humans. Thought I'd change that.
Time skip is affective this chapter.
Oh! Remember how in Parallel Centres, I mentioned how the email thing wasn't working? Forget I said that. For some reason, it's going to my spam folder. Whoops. Maybe I should check my spam folder more. :/
Transformers: Prime rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.
© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.
ENJOY!
The day Optimus unknowingly abandoned the Autobots was two months ago. Ever since that day, everyone threw themselves into trying to find their leader. However, everyone knew that tracking the Nemesis wasn't an easy task due to the heavy cloaking the Decepticons have employed to keep them hidden. Optimus was going to be on the Nemesis because Megatron couldn't risk him encountering the Autobots and realizing that he was a part of the wrong team.
Talida was sitting in one of the booths inside KO Burgers as Jack worked his shift. Her favourite cheeseburger and sprite combo was laid out on the clean table. However, just like any other day, she hasn't felt the urge to eat. Not even a nibble. It's been that way for the past two months since the events with the prophecy.
"Two Body Slam Burger Specials. Enjoy," Jack smiled to the customer as they made the exchange of food for money before the customer drove away.
To Jack's surprise, Sierra was standing on the grassy island across the driveway. This was strange because Sierra normally hardly acknowledged his existence. She only truly began acknowledging him when he first got a motorcycle.
"Hey, Jack," she greeted.
"Sierra," Jack responded, surprised.
Talida rolled her eyes. She loved Jack. But when it came to his crushes, he was blind. Sierra was the worse of them all. He can't see that she's using him.
"How come I never see you around?" Sierra asked.
"What are you talking about? We have chemistry together," Jack retorted, earning a strange look from Sierra that caused him to stammer like a fool, "Class. Chemistry class."
"I mean outside of school," Sierra clarified, "I never see you at any parties or the mall."
"Well, mostly I'm here wearing the hat. And you never can't study too hard for the old SATs, you know. Plus, Lida's been sick recently and there's a lot of other stuff," Jack explained before the drive-thru buzzer went off, "Don't go anywhere!"
Sierra smiled excitedly as he said that before going to the microphone.
"Welcome to K.O Drive-In. May I take your order?"
"5pm, Jack. Your shift is over. Let's go."
"Oh. That kind of stuff," Sierra deflated, going to walk away.
"Sierra, wait! She's Lida's biological mother!" Jack cried out in vein as Arcee rode up with her holoform activated.
"Her mother looks really good in leather on your bike," Sierra grumbled before walking away.
Arcee watched apologetically as Jack sighed in frustration at the lost chance.
"Didn't mean to decimate your social life," Arcee said as an offer of apology.
"Not the first time," Jack grumbled before asking the same question he asked everyday, "Any sign of Optimus?"
"Not today," Arcee answered sadly.
"Not yet," Jack corrected as always before going to pack his hat and apron, "Lida! You've better have eaten a good portion of that meal by the time I've come out!"
Talida didn't even try to cover it up as Jack sat next to her. She heard him sigh in disappointment at her untouched meal.
"Lida, you gotta eat. Optimus isn't gonna want you to waste away," Jack sighed.
"I don't feel hungry!" Talida cried out in defense.
"You haven't really eaten anything in over two months. You're wasting away!" Jack retorted, touching her side under her loose-fitting half-sleeved top to prove his point as he felt the outline of her ribs, "Please. Just eat something."
"Your brother's right, Tally. You gotta eat," Arcee said as she came in, sitting opposite them, "We're not gonna leave till you do."
"Might have to wait a while," Talida grumbled.
"Come on, Lida. Please," Jack pleaded as he held up a chip, "Please."
Talida looked fully into her brother's eyes. It was then she realized how much of a toll this was taking on him. The worry was clear in his eyes. So were the bags. Losing Optimus wasn't just affecting her.
So with a sigh, she accepted the chip from Jack and ate it, much to his relief. Arcee made no attempt to hide her relief as she watched her daughter grab the burger and take a bite out of it.
"At least she's getting better," Jack sighed in relief, rubbing her back as she drank some of her sprite.
Back at the base, Raf was doing his English homework when he heard beeping. Walking forward, she saw that Ratchet was attempting the suggestion Miko threw loosely at him two months ago. It surprised him. Miko was the person in the group that annoyed Ratchet the most. He was surprised that he was actually considering her advice.
"Ratchet," Raf began, distracting Ratchet from his work, "Are you turbocharging the GroundBridge?!"
"Tinkering," Ratchet was quick to correct him, "No need to get anyone's hopes up just yet. Especially Talida's."
"She seems to be on edge. Not sleeping. Not eating. She's taking this hard," Raf observed.
"She's improving with Jack's assistance, based on what Arcee just told me," Ratchet retorted after a minute of silence as he privately commed Arcee.
It was at that moment that Arcee returned to the base with Jack and Talida and Bulkhead returned with Miko after she finished yet another day in detention. Silently, everyone wondered if Miko actually had a long streak of not getting detention.
"Detention again, Miko?" Talida sighed in frustration.
"Hey! Mr. Racon had it coming!" Miko cried in defence.
Talida couldn't help but silently agree with Miko and what she did to the teacher. Mr. Racon was the history teacher at Jasper High and no one liked him a lot. Mostly because the guy was a womanizing sleazebag who could be Vince's father. Oh wait. He was.
"He's related to Vince. Of course he had it coming," Jack retorted as he and Talida hopped off Arcee so she could transform.
"Did you eat today?" Miko asked worriedly.
"Managed a whole meal," Talida boasted.
"Nice!" Miko cheered as they hi-fived.
"Whoa, Ratch! I thought when you said you were going to turbocharge the bridge, you were kidding!" Talida cried.
"I'm not gonna stop looking for Optimus until all options have been exhausted," Ratchet retorted, stopping his work momentarily, "But there's a chance it won't work."
"A small chance is better than nothing," Talida retorted.
"Ratchet! You awake?! This is an emergency!"
The moment was killed when Fowler's voice rang through the video feed. The urgent tone was radiating from him even though they were a few miles away.
"Agent Fowler. Is it Optimus?!" was the first question that came out of Ratchet's mouth.
"No. It's 'Cons! And they're busting into the same military lab they hit two months ago!"
"Looking for the power source again?" Bumblebee buzzed.
"Another Space Bridge?" Bulkhead guessed, quickly catching on to Bumblebee's drift.
"For all we know, Optimus is riding with them," Arcee pointed out.
That earned Ratchet's interest.
"Roll out," Ratchet instructed.
Thought I'd end it there. Because I'm evil…and tired.
BYE!