Resignation

Carly spent the time cleaning Terra's wounds while a guard armed with a machine gun observed.

"I heard about what happened to Ironhide..." Carly said, sadly. "Terra...I'm so sorry."

Terra sighed and stared down while Carly cleaned her forehead cut. "No. I'm sorry." she replied, quietly. "I should have been more logical. More attentive to what was best for all of us. But they loved and worshiped Sentinel Prime, for his past deeds he had done. Perhaps I only stayed silent to keep them happy. I was foolish."

Carly stared at her sympathetically. "I know you loved him. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now."

Terra didn't respond and merely lowered her eyes again.

She was surprised when Carly put her arms around her as a form of comfort, but actually didn't argue it and merely allowed her to do so.

"I'm sorry..." she said, "I'm so sorry."

Terra was quiet for a long time before returning the embrace.

"...Thank you." she finally replied.

Terra stood up when Dylan entered the room. Her eyes narrowed and she fitted her goggles onto her face, but Dylan snatched them off. Terra's violet eyes seemed to glow with hatred.

"Hey, I'd prefer to look you in the eye, freak." Dylan snapped. "My house, my rules."

Terra squinted coldly at him.

"She can't see without them, Dylan!" Carly protested.

Dylan glared up at Terra. "She's fine. She has you if she needs you." he sneered. "She won't suffer."

"Suffering?" Terra squinted at him and stepped into his personal space. "You haven't seen anything yet." She literally FELT the fear that he seemed to radiate and leaned back. "From birth, you've been given the advantages of few others. Yet, through poor moral decisions, you've used these advantages to selfishly further only yourselves at the expense of others. One day, that singular way of thinking will be put to the test. When it does, I hope your courage is limitless." She leaned down closer, whispering near his ear, a voice that barely trickled with murder. "I will GLADLY help you."

oOo

"It's been a remarkable series of events today at the Capitol. Just moments ago, legislation was passed to exile the Autobots from American shores. The U. S. Military alliance with them is officially over. In the words of the House Majority Leader-"

Terra punched the flat-screen television with one fist.

"Goddamn it!" Dylan's voice echoed from the other room.

He entered the living room where Terra and Carly were and noticed the smashed television with Terra standing over it. His eyes widened and he glared furiously at her. "Are you shitting me, right now?" he shouted. "Do you have ANY idea what that cost me? DO YOU?"

"I can imagine." Terra said, just as coldly. "What fight is made for trivial possessions that makes such short a life."

Dylan wasn't swayed. "Cute. But you're still going to pay for that!"

"Go ahead and make me pay." Terra said calmly.

Dylan merely pointed at her, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but stormed off with a furious huff. Carly smiled at Terra and stood up. "Don't worry, Terra," she promised her, "We're going to get out of this. The Autobots can't go away forever. Humans will suffer without them."

"Let them suffer."

Carly looked stunned by Terra's blunt response.

"What?" she gasped.

Terra looked at her with a mixture of coldness and pain. "I have seen the truth - the true face of human nature," she said, "It cannot be changed. Human beings are only good for one thing - hurting others. They kill and destroy one another and for what? Power that lasts only as long as their lifespan? Money? Possessions? Greed cannot fill the void in their souls no matter how much they consume."

"Terra, that isn't true - "

"WAKE UP, CARLY!" Terra suddenly bellowed, glaring at her. "You have seen the flaws in your policy! You know what evil humans are capable of! I have watched my very world crumble in front of my eyes, and I am expected to stay silent? No. No more. I will be heard!"

Carly noticed the guard by the door smiling with amusement.

"He called me a dog, Carly..." Terra's voice was softer now, her shoulders hanging, "Though I escaped subjugation, I merely entered another level of it. They may not have intended it, but I simply became another pawn to you too. And I LET it happen. I stayed silent as I was born to do and allowed it to happen. I am just as much at fault as everyone else."

Carly nodded her head. "You're right, Terra." she replied, "We weren't considerate to what you felt. That was wrong. People in desperation do stupid things, I guess."

Terra smiled a little. "I suppose."

"From now on, you're going to be treated differently," Carly promised her, "We will always ask you how you feel, I promise. Even if I have to smack it into Charlotte's head a few times."

Terra turned and faced the remains of the television. "When I was with Ironhide, I forgot things." she said, quietly. A smile touched her lips. "He made all the pain...just go away. When Ironhide would hold me, the world just...disappeared. Nothing else mattered but him."

"That's part of being human." Carly assured her.

Terra looked at her sadly. "Is the pain a part of it too?"

"...Yes."

oOo

"Optimus?"

Carly, Terra and Dylan listened to the conversation Sam was making with Optimus over Dylan's phone. They were flying in a helicopter toward Chicago.

"What your leaders say is true. This was all my fault. I told them whom to trust. I... was so wrong." Optimus said.

"That doesn't make it your fault. It just makes you human for a change."

Terra briefly reacted to that.

"Remember this. You may lose your faith in us, but never in yourselves."

"I need to know how you're gonna fight back. I know this is strategy, I know you're... you're coming back with reinforcements, something, I know there's a plan." Sam grunted softly in pain over the connection. "Hnh. You can tell me. No other human will ever know."

"...There is no plan."

"If we just do what they want, how are we gonna live with ourselves?"

"You are my friend, Sam. You always will be. But your leaders have spoken. From here, the fight will be your own."

Terra closed her eyes, barely listening to the remaining conversation before Simmons' voice made her glance down at Dylan's phone with shock.

"Years from now, they're gonna ask us. Where were you when they took over the planet? We're gonna say, we just stood by and watched."

6:30 AM

Sam contacted Dylan's phone. "You wanted an answer. You got one." he snapped.

Dylan smiled at Terra and Carly before responding. "I always get what I want, Sam. We just needed to be sure."

"Sure of what?"

Dylan's eyes narrowed and he spoke venomously. "That they would go without a fight."

He hung up the phone and looked out toward the approaching city. "We all work for the Decepticons now."