I rolled over and groaned looking at the clock on my nightstand. 5:30 am. I hadn't slept at all. I got dressed in my usual clothes and went out into the garage, geared up, and left for the base. It was a pleasant morning for a change, clouds passing overhead caught the sun's early rays, reflecting hues of pinks, oranges and purples. I arrived at the stop sign and for once in my life stopped at it. I was unsure of how to handle the situation, I didn't want to freak anyone out that was for sure. I took off my helmet and placed it in front of me, leaning over it. I didn't have to wait very long before the fake rock door opened.

I gunned it into the base, wondering what time it was. I came in and was eyed at suspiciously by Ratchet. I looked up and greeted him.

"I'm kinda surprised you opened the door for me." I said smiling up at him.

"Huh, yes well, who else would have that flamboyant hair color of yours, and why are you here so early anyway? Where's Arcee and Jack for that matter?" he asked looking behind me

"Um, well I obviously didn't come with either of them cause their still asleep... and..." I looked away but suddenly felt brave in front of the red and white Autobot. "... I'm an insomniac." I finished quietly.

"Hmm, interesting. As long as your quiet I guess I don't see a problem with you being here.. but you really shouldn't be wondering around without your guardian. I mean, after all, that is the whole reason we assigned them to you. " He sighed giving me a stern look. "And, don't touch anything!"

I grinned up at him. "Yeah, ok. Thanks, you won't even know I'm here. Can I touch the ground?" I asked him.

He rolled his optics, "Yes, you can touch the floor." he sighed.

"How about the air?" I asked pushing his buttons a bit, which was too easy.

"Uh! Would you just go?!" he shoo-ed at me.

I mused at how easy it was to get under his, 'metal' as I rolled my bike to the corner it was the other day and unzipped my gear. I walked around the base a bit and found what looked like a scrap heap of various metal. I pulled out a long, cylindrical metal pipe, that was several inches taller then me. I grinned at the find and proceeded to practice some bōjutsu. When I was younger, and my father was around more, he had taught me all sorts of martial arts and self-defense techniques. I smiled, walking back to the main greeting area, if you could call it that, I could hear Ratchet talking to himself.

"Unfortunately, complete results are slow-coming without the use of proper diagnostic tools, thank you very much, Bulkhead." I giggled at his comment remembering the moment well when the device was destroyed. I turned back around and began practicing.

Sometime later, a noise caught my attention. It sounded like metal falling onto the concrete floor.

"Ratchet? Did you hear that?" I asked walking over to him.

"Yes, but I thought it was you." I shook my head and turned around in time to see a small animatronic, spider-like bot, with one purple optic, rush around the corner straight towards me.

"What the fu...!" I didn't get to finish my sentence as it leaped at me and scratched my left arm as I took a step back. Prepared this time, I timed it perfectly, as I swung my pipe at it. I heard a satisfying crunch of metal as the two objects met. Precious liquids that were flowing inside the bot, leaked out and were caught on my arm, and the thing was sent flying into a concrete wall. Dazed a bit as it clung to the wall, it jumped up at Ratchet.

"By the All-Spark!" he said as he dodged the creature. It landed at his workstation turning around it flung itself back at him. Ratchet blocked using both arms but it used it as leverage and jumped up into what looked like a catwalk system about him. It jumped and aimed at me, preparing myself I waited for it to get close, but Ratchet beat me to it.

With a metal pipe (similar to mine), that I didn't see him grab, he blocked the attack and sent it flying back over to the electronics. With precision it dodged each of Ratchet's advances and made its way back around to what I could only assume to be a microscope. With one swipe it sliced the microscope in half.

"I needed that!" Ratchet yelled angrily at it. Obviously, not caring, the bot jumped off the table and landed on the ground near me, jumping up at me again, a smirk broke across my face as the pipe made contact with it, launching it into the air once more. As I turned I greet two large blue feet, I watched as Optimus fired at the creature, disorientating it even more, causing it to land on the ground. It sparked a few times before it tried to get back up. Optimus' foot was faster.

"And stay broken! Now, what could have caused that?!" Ratchet yelled

"I have a grave suspicion Ratchet, Dark Energon." Optimus said with a sigh in his voice.

A pain radiating from my arm caused me to look down at it. Two claw marks that had ripped through my shirt and skin causing me to bleed. Looking around I didn't see any blood on the ground, so I assumed my shirt absorbed the blood. A purple substance covered the wound and most of my arm. Tearing off the rest of the shredded sleeve at the elbow I wrapped the wound, tightly and tied it off.

"Kathrine, are you alright?" Optimus asked next.

I smiled at his concern as I held my pole out in my right hand next to me. "Yup, just a scratch. Nothing I can't handle when I get home. Thanks." he nodded in return.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Ratchet asked as he picked up the pieces to the now dead object. I looked over at him a bit lost and startled.

"Me?" I questioned.

He rolled his optics. "Who else." he said as he placed the contents into a canister and sealed it.

"Sorry. It's call bōjutsu, it's a type of martial art that my father taught me." I said grinning widely at them as I swung the pipe around with my right hand and rested it on my left shoulder. I watched as they placed it in a machine of some sort, while Optimus closed the compartment.

"If the residue Acree found on Cliffjumper brought your broken equipment to life, it would stand to reason that the very same substance brought Cliffjumper, back from the dead." Optimus said eerily.

"Hmm, that would account for this life signal coming back online, but Dark Energon? It's so scarce, it's as to be virtually non-existent. What would it be doing on Earth?" Ratchet asked. He turned his gaze downward again, and I could almost see the gears turning. I stood watching their conversation, with my interest peaking.

"It was transported, by Megatron." Optimus answered.

"For what?" I asked. Both of them looked at me, they almost seemed to have forgotten me, almost.

"To conquer this planet by raising an army of the undead." Optimus responded gravely.

"So, you're telling me that, not only do I have to worry about evil, giant, robots, conquering the world, but giant, metal zombie robots, too?" I asked somewhat frazzled by the answer he gave.

"Well, Megatron will have to break quite a few toaster-ovens, I mean where on this world, would he find that many Cybertronian dead?" Ratchet somewhat reassured me, but at the same time he had me worried. However, replaying his sentence in my head again I couldn't help but, break out laughing at his comment. They gazed down at me confused as to what was so funny.

"I'm sorry, but, toaster-ovens?" I said continuing to laugh. "Really I'm sorry, but the image of our broken kitchen appliances turning into zombies, is just funny. However, I think an army of blenders would be more intimidating." I said calming down. The two smirked at my comment as engine noises were heard echoing through the small tunnel. We turned around to see Acree with Jack as well as Bumblebee and Raf, and Bulkhead and Miko. All three were cheering as their guardians transformed.

"That was awesome!"

"Can we go again?"

"Sweet!"

I frowned a bit at their reactions, feeling left out as well as knowing that I didn't really have a guardian. A feeling of dark emptiness consumed me as I felt my heart squeeze a bit too hard. Nonetheless, I pushed the feeling aside and watched Bulkhead pull a guitar case out of his chest.

"Opps, sorry, must have left that in the back seat." Miko said as she took the case then she turned her attention to me. "Dude! What happened to your arm, and why do you have a giant metal pipe?" She questioned running up to me.

"Nothing just a scratch, I tore my shirt in the process and tore it off and covered. The pipe is for bōjutsu." I stated.

Her eyes lit up as I realized she was from Japan, and it was a Japanese technique. "You know bōjutsu!? That's so cool!" she exclaimed. I think I just scored some points.

"I also know Wing Chun, Taekwondo, some Karate, Jujutsu, Aikido, and Hapkido, of course their not mastered." I finished smiling at her. I looked behind her to see Jack and Raf shrug their shoulders, clueless as to what we were talking about.

"Autobots," Optimus bellowed, " prepare to..." he gazed down looking at us and then though otherwise about what he was going to say.

"Roll out?" Acree attempted to finish.

"Remain here." He said instead. "Ratchet you'll come with me. Acree we'll be outside communication range for sometime, so I'm putting you in charge."

"Dude, you're the biggest, you should be in charge." Miko called up to her guardian

He sighed, "He never picks me."

"Optimus, with all due respect, playing bodyguard is one thing. Babysitting is another." Arcee stated. I heard Jack sigh and watched him walk away from her. "Beside Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war."

"My pistons may be rusty, but my hearing is as sharp as ever." he countered.

"For the moment, it's only reconnaissance." Optimus explained.

"Then why do I hear an edge to your voice?" she rebutted.

"Acree, much as changed within the past 24-hours, and we all need to adapt."

"That's an understatement." I said to no one in particular as I walked to the metal stairs, my pipe still resting on my shoulder. "Ratchet, bridge us out." We all watched as the two of them walked into the swirling lights of blues, greens and purples.

"Ok chief, what's on the activities list?" Jack question.

Acree gave him a look, "I'm going on patrol." She said walking away from the group.

"But Optimus told us to stay put." Bulkhead interfered.

"When you're in charge you can call the shots. Bee with me." she call over her shoulder.

"What?! Fine." he whirled.

"Bulkhead you're in charge." Acree declared just before she took off.

"So, uh, what's on the activities list?" Bulkhead questioned us. I arched an eyebrow as he re-stated Jack's question. The noise of a screeching amp filled the concrete space and I had to cover my ears along with everybody else.

"I know, how about band practice?" Miko asked everyone. I looked at her confused, what?

"But we're not a band." Raf interjected as he uncovered his ears.

"Why so anti-social? Come on Raf, you play anything?" she asked as she walked over to him.

"Um, keyboard?" he questioned picking up his computer.

"Laptops and samples, good. Jack?" she asked looking at him.

"Um, I sometimes mess around on the harmonica..." he answered rubbing the back of his neck. I had to shake my head, that's wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"Do I look like I do country to you? Just cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming." Jack looked shocked by her suggestion, confused as well. "Bulkhead, percussion! Well go for a big industrial sound." Then she turned to face me, I was watching above them.

"That just leaves Kat! So what can you do?" she asked, almost genuinely curious. I set down my pole, leaning it up against the railing and walked down to her.

"I can show you, can I see your guitar?" I asked, see looked a little unwilling at first. "Don't worry, I'll give it back, promise." I added and she handed it over. I took it and strummed a few strings and adjusted them. Then I let loose on it, with Evans Blue - Halo. (you kind of have listen to is to understand the next part)

I played out the intro and then decided to combine the first and second guitar parts together and sang soprano (not as high as you think just one more octave up.)

Reach me with halos
Clean me with all
Your good intent
Burn me with fear
So I won't question
Or end this relationship
Well I'm filled with more than regret
I have chose to ignore it
Or face the feeling again
My time is wasted

I followed your story
I can't do your math
You won't stand before me
Or behind my back
My eyes have been blurry
My family attacked
I can't stand before you and won't take this back
(won't take this back) which is screamed.

I finished and looked up to see everyone gawking, it was kinda awkward.

"That, was, amazing!" Miko yelled as I handed her guitar back.

I smiled at her in return. "Thanks, I've had a lot of time on my hands."

"DIY, we're a band, you just gotta learn the songs." she finished throwing her hands in the air. She then began to strum a ballad, but was cut short.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Bulkhead interrupted.

"Come on! You can't handle raw power?" she asked him. I inwardly laughed at her comment, what power, I heard screeching.

"Proximity sensor, quick, hide!" he yelled. We all ran behind him, that was when I noticed Miko had grabbed her guitar with it still plugged in. Almost instantly after we hid, the door opened a a voice boomed throughout the base.

"Prime!" Fowler's voice rang out.

"Agent Fowler, uh, he's not here. Nobody's here, except me, of course." Bulkhead managed to spit out.

"Well, where did he go? Wait don't tell me! He's out pancaking a mini-mall. Now, I don't know what language you bots speak on your planet, but Prime promised he would handle the Decepticons and blow up a crater in the middle of Nebraska, is not what the word, 'handle' means in English. So you tell Prime... " the agent paused. During the whole conversation it had been a tug of war between Bulkhead's foot pulling on the cord that was still plugged in, and Miko hanging on to her guitar for dear life.

"Since when are you bots electric?" He suddenly asked. Shit. We all stepped out of Bulkhead's protected view and met Fowler.

"Hey, how you doing?" Jack asked. I giggled quietly.

"Contact with civilians. Team Prime as really gone off the deep end this time. Wait, don't tell me, your running a daycare center."

"Uh.." Bulkhead said speechless.

"We're interns.." Jack started.

"Student interns.." Raf added

"Earning extra credit in auto-shop." I finished, however Miko had said robotics instead.

"Ok, let's move, I'm taking all four of you into federal custody, for your own protection." Fowler said as he walked down the stairs towards us. Bulkhead moved his foot and slammed it down in front of us.

"We're protecting them." He said.

"See, I feel protected." I said grinning at Fowler.

"Is that so? Well, maybe you can explain that to my superiors, at the Pentagon. " Fowler stated, sounding all high and mighty.

"Don't use that phone,.. it's out of order." Bulkhead said as he crushed it.

"This isn't over bigfoot not by a long shot." the Agent yelled.

"Hey, his name's Bulkhead to you." I snapped back at him as the agent was leaving which only seemed made him madder. We watched him walk out of the room and Miko suddenly raised her hand in the air, in a high five fashion.

"Nice one, Kat!" I slapped her hand back and grinned.

"Uh..." Bulkhead groaned.

"So now what?" Jack asked.

"We'll have to wait for Optimus to get back and tell him the situation. Until then, I guess we just wait." Bulkhead answered. We all kinda sighed at that. Standing around we were trying to decide what to, when sirens blared loudly and green flashes filled the room. The sound was ear deafening. As if to prove my internal point Raf cover his ears.

"My ears.." he moaned.

"It's an SOS, from Fowler." Bulkhead said as he walked over to the controls. He looked utterly confused at how to work the touch screen buttons, but fiddled with them anyway. The noise soon stopped.

"Did you trace it?" I asked.

"Location scan was incomplete. Oh well." Bulkhead said walking away.

"Oh well?" Jack said shocked by his reaction. "Seriously?"

"Fowler's a jerk."

"Whoa, whether you like him or not, the Decepticons may have him!" Jack stated.

"And Agent Fowler knows your location." Raf butted in with. "Our location..." he said a bit scared.

"And did we not just witness how fast Fowler back down from a bot? The Cons will totally make him squeal." Miko added in.

"But we lost the transmission. He could be anywhere." Bulkhead pointed out.

"Maybe I can narrow it down. About 5 years ago the government started microchipping their agents, you know like owners do with pets." Raf explained as he pulled out his laptop and opened it up. "What, I saw it on TV." While Miko and Jack were amazed, I wasn't surprised, the information had been leaked out to the public, but the person was caught and placed in jail for treason.

"Yeah, although that information is somewhat old, the newest thing is that they surgically implant a special chip onto the cerebellum, so that only their agents can use their own equipment and weapons. The chip still works as a locating device though. However, they only did it on a select few, my father being one of them. Even now that's kinda old too."

"How do you know that?" Jack asked me.

"My father told me." I confessed.

"Won't you go to jail or something?" he asked again.

I laughed a bit at his comment. "No, that information was old about a year ago, let's face it, if the government is telling us things that were secrets years ago, don't you think they've moved on to bigger, better things?" I through out into the open. Jack, Miko, and Raf seemed to ponder about what I just said.

"Anyway, if I can hack into the feds main frame maybe I can pinpoint Fowler's coordinates."

"You know how to hack? But, you're like, two years old." said Miko.

"Twelve, and a quarter." Raf stated. He continued to fiddle with the computer for a bit before talking again. "Latitude 39.4, longitude, 116.9."

Bulkhead punched in the coordinates for the Ground bridge. "Ok wait here." he said as he walked towards the bridge.

"Awh, don't break up the band." Miko cried.

Just before he walked through to the other side he turned around. "Uh, Jack, you're in charge." he said before he ran through. I watched as Miko ran after him and rolled my eye as the Ground bridge closed.

"Guess we four have the run of the place." Jack said.

I shook my head, "Three, but who's going to go after Miko."

"Miko?" he called.

"Dude, she followed Bulkhead." I explained.

"What should we do? Bulkhead might not even realized that she followed him." Raf worried. We had walked up to the controls and waited on the metal balcony.

"Miko hasn't seen the Cons in action like we have, she has no idea." Jack imputed. I watched as Raf went over to the computer and typed on the keyboard.

"Those are the coordinates, their destination's still lock in." said Raf.

"Um, you're in charge. " Jack stated as he walked towards the bridge.

"In charge of who, besides Kat?!" he question. I stood there and watched as Raf pressed the enter button and ran off to join Jack. I watched them enter into the abyss known as the Ground bridge and leaned up against the controls and thought.

"Ah, what the hell." I said aloud to the empty room. I felt something give way under my hand and noticed my fingers had pushed some buttons. I looked at the bridge and nothing had changed. Looking back I also noticed Jack forgot his phone. Grabbing it and my metal pipe I raced down into the bridge before it closed.

The ride was instantaneous and a bit jarring to say the least. When I came out, it was dark and it looked like I was in a tall canyon. Mist was settled along the ground only adding to the effect.

Walking forward I rounded a corner and saw two Autobots, I didn't expect to see. Optimus Prime and Ratchet. Not paying any attention to what my metal rod was doing, it clanked across several rocks I hid behind. Both of them turned around and readied themselves for battle, taking a stance and clenching their fists.

I walked out of my hiding spot and waved, kicking the ground in front of my as I held my pipe behind me.

"Kathrine?" Optimus asked startled.

"Um, hey." I said sheepishly.

Wow, so I decided that instead of doing my homework for finals, I was going to write this instead. I know, brilliant right? Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll probably be re-writing this series so far so that I can get more of Kat's personality out. Let me know what you think :) Thanks!

Sophia901 : I am, I've been planning on doing that from the start. I really want to what she's going to do as well. ^-^ Well I know, but you'll have to wait. :)

ForgotMyName2Day: Hope you liked what I added. ;)