After Prime's conformation of my place on base, I received my own quarters. My own SMALL quarters with a SMALL berth and SMALL closet (to store clothes and such). I huffed, glaring at the SMALL window. Just because I was small didn't mean that had to have everything else small.

A knock on my door brought me out of my temporary realization of the unfairness we little people get. "Come in!" I called, hopping onto the berth, making it bounce under my presence.

Prowl entered with a neutral expression. "Electric Storm, Optimus and I have been discussing arrangements for your guardian and-"

"Wait, why do I need a guardian?" I interrupted, my optics narrowing.

Prowl matched my gaze. "In both Cybertronian AND human terms you are still lacking the maturity of being able to make descions on your own and stay out of trouble."

"Hey! Are you calling me immature?!"

The SIC's gaze hardened. "When you sneaked onto Autobot base a few months ago what was your reason for coming onto our premisis?"

I awkwardly averted my gaze, twiddling my fingers. "...because of a dare..." I answered in a small voice.

Prowl nodded. "As I thought. If you'll please come with me, we will inform you of who's to be your guardian."

"But I didn't have to have a guardian with the Decep-" I bit my tongue, not daring to finish the sentence. *I didn't have a guardian with the ones who stabbed me in the back.* I lowered my optics to the ground and nodded. "Okay, I'm coming."

While walking towards...wherever we were going, I passed a lot of bots. Many of whom gave me glares. I ducked my head and walked faster.

When we arrived, the door slid open with a hiss and revealed Optimus standing there, waiting for me. His optics seemed to be smiling. "Hello, Electric Storm. Are you doing well?"

I had to hold back a scoff. I was backstabbed by the people who kidnapped me and then forced to live with my enemies and THEY only took me in because they only felt sorry for me. Oh, yes, I was doing WONDERFUL.

But deciding it was best not to tick off Optimus, I merely nodded.

"I'm sure Prowl informed you of the situation?"

Another nod.

Prime gestured to a Cybertronian chair next to him. "Please, take a seat."

I did but I sat on the edge, feeling nervous and having butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

"Prowl and I have decided..."

Oh no.

"...that to best suit your needs..."

Here it comes.

"...we have selected Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to be your guardians."

"WHAT?!" was the first thing out of my mouth before I could stop it. I instinctively jumped up and yelled, "Whaddya mean they're my 'guardians'?!"

Prowl gave me a cold stare. "Exactly as he said. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are your guardians."

"But why?!" My voice came out more whiney than I had intended it to.

Optimus put a hand on my shoulder. "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were the first ones to know you were part Cybertronian. They were trustworthy enough to bring you here without any trouble."

"It also would be good for them to learn some responsibilty," Prowl cut in.

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Don't *I* get a say in this?"

"You're still just a youngling and don't have enough knowledge to understand the strengths of all the bots here on base," Optimus said gently.

"You gave me two guardians who used to be slagging *gladiators* for crying out loud!" I complained. "Also, you told me GUARDIAN, not GUARDIAN*S*."

"Electric Storm, please try to understand we're just trying to do what's best for yo-" Optimus started but I interrupted.

"How could *you* know what's best for me? You don't even know me."

The Prime looked like he was about to say something else but he merely sighed. "You are dismissed."

Almost before the words were out of his mouth, I bolted out of there.

*Slagging Autobots,* I angrily thought to myself as I raced down the halls, my pedes clanking on the floor with each step. *Thinking they know what's best for me. They don't know a slagging* thing *about me. Why, I oughtta-*

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when I slammed into something. Or should I someONES?

It was none other than my newly-appointed guardians themselves, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. And judging by their glares, they were as happy to see me as I was to them.

"Well if it ain't the Decepti-creep herself," Sunstreaker sneered, giving me this look as if I were some horrible disease.

I leaned againt the wall, casually crossing my arms. I had delt with these types before. "I could say some nice things to you, but I'd rather tell the truth."

He scowled and Sideswipe interjected, "Prowl just told us we were your new guardians. Care to explain?" He took a threatening step towards me, trying to intimidate me with his size.

But what I guess he didn't know was that I was almost ALWAYS looking up to people (that's what happens when you're a human in a base full of giant robots) so I was USED to being the short guy.

I glared back up at him. "Yeah, I'll explain: Prowl made you two my guardians. Is that simple enough, or do I have to explain in one sylable words?"

"Why you little-" he snarled, raising a fist to punch me. Just as I was bracing myself for the blow, a voice yelled, "Hey! Break it up!"

We all looked up to see a blue bot with a 38 coming down the halls. He held a strange resemblence to Prowl.

"Smokescreen, stay out of this," Sunstreaker growled.

But "Smokescreen" wouldn't stay out of it. "You think it's *fun* picking on bots smaller than you? Huh? Is that how you get your kicks? Not to mention, she's a defenseless FEMME! If you wanna pick on someone, pick on someone who's got a chance to fight back."

Sideswipe lowered his fist. I slunk down to the floor. After Smokescreen's lecture, neither of us seemed to have any more insults or punches to throw.

He nodded curtly before briskly walking away. "That's what I thought."

I stared at the floor in front of me while the twins stared at each other. They seemed to be having another one of those internal conversation thingees. Meanwhile, I was having my own internal conversation.

*Okay, so I can't beat them with force. And insults are out of the question. So what's their left to do?* I saw only one option.

"Why did I have to get YOU guys?" I wailed, throwing my head back to emphasize the injustice of this situation.

Whine.

"This is so unfair!"

"Sunny, couldn't why does Prowler hate us?" Sides complained.

Okay, apparently they thought of that too.

"Don't call me that!" "Sunny" snapped. "And I'm not sure *why* Prowler gave us that glitchhead."

Said glitchhead was still complaining. "There were so many other options! Why them?"

"He could've given us brig time!"

"Or made us clean the entire base!"

"With a toothbrush!"

"Blindfolded!"

"ANYTHING-"

"But-"

"This!"

I frowned. They were complaining four times as much as I was whining. 'Slag it, I give up.'

Just as I sunk onto my berth, ready to recharge, an anouncement crackled through the inter. com. "Electric Storm, please come to the Rec. room."

"Slag..." I groaned, but complied and was soon at the Rec. room. And of course, every bot and his brother had to be there.

"Electric Storm, we have another matter to discuss," Optimus began. I let out an annoyed sigh but let him continue. "You're presence on the base must be kept secret..."

Uh oh. I didn't like where this was going

"...and you are not allowed off base without an escort."

"ARE YOU SLAGGING KIDDING ME?!" I shrieked, causing some bots to flinch and cover their audio receptors at the sudden outburst. "What about my family?!"

"I'm...afraid, due to safety reasons, you won't be able to see them."

Hot whatever-the-heck-Cybertronians-cry tears slid down my face, dripping onto my armor. I furiously wiped them away, not wanting for the bots to have *another* thing to make fun of me for.

"I'm really sorry, Electric Storm."

No he wasn't.

It's not him whose family was ripped away from him. He didn't care. Nobody here cared. They were just as bad as the Decepticons. Worse.

"I thought you said 'Freedom was the right of all sentient beings'," I mumbled angrily, not knowing the sensitive ears of a certain red mech picked them up.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Was the only warning I got before the wind was knocked out of me. Cliffjumper was all over me, his fists flying, pounding furiously into me.

I could hear shouts and yells, telling him to get off but all I could focus on was the pain. Each pound sent a jolt racking through my body, reminding me how horrible these guys were. They called Decepticons monsters. THEY were the real monsters.

Cliffjumper was finally pried of me. As I stood up (getting a safe distance away from Cliffjumper), I counted six—no, SEVEN guys holding him back. And even then they were having a hard time containing him.

"Electric Storm, apologize," Prowl—one of the bots holding him back—ordered.

"What?!" I sqwauked. "Why me?!"

"You offended him, can't you tell? Now APOLOGIZE!"

"I'm sorry," I grumbled, crossing my arms and staring defiantley at the ground, hating every single one of these bots. Cliffjumper was released and he glared at me, but didn't attempt anything else.

"You are dismissed to your quarters, Electric Storm," Prowl nodded.

If only he had said I could be dismissed from base.

As soon as I was in my room, the door hissed shut and I slammed into the berth, grabbing a pillow. I screamed into it, tears now freely streaming down my cheeks. I hate this place! I hate everyone in it!

A knock on my door made me fall into silence. I didn't want to see anyone. I buried my helm in the pillow, hoping they go away. A few moments later, there was a hiss as the door slid open.

Note to self: get a code lock.

"Electric Storm, you need a check-up." Oh how lovely, it's Ratchet. The Autobot's medic. The LAST thing I needed right now was a check up.

"I just got one from Hook," I mumbled into my pillow.

There was a sharp, irritated sigh. "Which is exactly why you need one!"

SLAG IT ALL, I DID NOT WANT A STUPID CHECK UP!

"You know what?!" I screamed. "GO FALL IN A HOLE!"

*CLANK*

A sharp pain suddenly struck my helm and my fingers instinctively shot up there. All that met them was empty air. A dent! I shifted my gaze over to the CMO. He was holding something silver in his hand.

A wrench! He had hit me with a wrench! HE had hit me with a wrench! He had ME with a wrench! He had hit me with a WRENCH!

"You hit me with a wrench!" I sputtered.

He waltzed over to me and grabbed my arm, dragging me to the med-bay. "I have no time for stuborness," he growled.

I merely gawked at him. "WHAT KIND OF A MEDIC ARE YOU?!"

I rubbed my arm, grimacing. During the check-up, Ratchet had taken a blood-er, energon, err, energon/blood test and he used a needle. I hate needles.

"Hey, Storm," my head jerked up at the familar nickname and for a moment I expected Rumble and/or Frenzy to come swaggering down the halls. But it was just that bot that looked like Prowl. The one who had broken up the fight.

"What do you want?" I muttered, my voice cold and filled with venom.

He held up his servos in a defensive pose and claimed, "Hey, hey! I didn't know you woke up on the wrong side of the berth." His face split into a devious grin.

Slag it. He reminded me so much of the twins. MY twins, not the two weird-o Autobot ones.

I didn't reply so he continued, "Optimus wanted one of us to train you, so you wouldn't be defensless in case the Decepticons attack."

"I'm not defenseless," I deadpanned. "I have weapons."

Smokescreen-I think his name was-smirked and leaned closer towards me, causing me to lean back. "Yes, but do you know how to use them?"

I held my tongue at that one. Partly because I had no come back and partly because this dude had NO sense of personal space.

"Mh hm. That's what I thought." He turned around and started walking. "C'mon, let's go."

Confusion flitted across my features. "Going? Where?"

He rolled his optics. "The training room. Duh! I'm your new trainer."

I couldn't help but a let a smile grace my face. Training? This would be most interesting...

**
"Aug!" I yelled as Smokescreen flipped me over his shoulder. Again. My helm made a dull clunk sound as it came in contact with the floor.

"C'mon, kid, you can do better than that. Get up and try again," Smokescreen urged from above me.

"No," I replied. "I actually kinda like it down here. Nice, hard, cool. Maybe I'll just lie here for the rest of my life."

"Get up, FEMME." I could tell by the tone of his voice he was getting annoyed with me. Fine. Let him be. I'm annoyed at being useless through this training lesson. My joints ached, my helm ached, my tailpipe ached, need I go on?

I was planning on just lying there, face smooshed up against the floor, WHEN THE WORLD SLIPPED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME!

I screamed as Smokescreen yanked me up into a standing position.

"WHAT THE HAY, DUDE?!" I shouted, my spark pounding loudly.

"You have two options. We can do this the hard way, or the harder way."

I vented sharply.

"Look, I'll cut you a deal. You put SOME damage on me and I'll give you the rest of the session off."

"Deal!"

I took a deep breath-err,whatever giant alien robots take-and yelled at Smokescreen, "You wanna a piece of me?!"

I should have noticed Jazz, who just walked in. I DID notice him when I heard a funny static noise. I looked up and saw Jazz, his optic twitching. "Jazz? Are you okay?" I asked. His helm began smoking and he looked like he was having a convulsion. "J-Jazz?" His helm slowly turned around to meet my gaze. His optics were blood red and he had a rabid dog gaze. I shrieked and stood frozen with fear.

Unfortunately, Smokescreen took advantage of that. He flipped me over his shoulder and I landed with an "oof!"

Remind me never to take my optics/eyes off my enemies. Scratch that. Remind me never to take my optics/eyes off SMOKESCREEN.

After my whooping, I was in a much better mood, despite my losing. I reached down into my pocket and felt for around. Aha! My hands touched the gum I was orginally going to use for a prank. But now, since I was no longer with the D-cons, I popped the strawberry flavored squishyness into my mouth.

I started chewing and thinking about being here at Autobot base. The harder I thought, the harder I chewed.

Was I *really* going to be stuck here for the rest of my life? Would the Decepticons ever try to come back for me? Would any of the bots—besides Smokeacreen—stop hating me?

*snap*

*pop*

I blew a bubble and it soon deflated.

How would I ever get used to living here? Would I even get used to living here? Would I still go to school? Oh, gosh, I hope not.

*snap*

*pop*

Were the Autobots REALLY monsters? Or...was I the moster?
That one question kept repeating itself. A bubble split between my lips, growing bigger with each replay. It kept filling up with air, growing larger and larger.

By the time it was the size of a small car, I finally noticed it. "Sweet mercy! That's a big bubble!" I exclaimed. Or...at least, *tried* to.

With my talking, the bubble sort of...

*POP!*

*BOOM!*

...exploded...

Soon, everything was just a endless pinky, sticky mess, the gum covering everything. I struggled to get out of it, but that only made me MORE stuck. So it looked like I was going to be here a while. Everything would be fine, just as long as the Autobots didn't find ou-

"ELECTRIC STORM!"

"Scrap!"