[Location: Middle of the Nevada desert]

The full moon gave them all plenty of light as they searched the area that the last ground bridge coordinates placed them. As it winked shut behind them, all four Autobots could hear a metallic 'ping' sound echoing in the wind.

"Autobots, take a direction." Optimus ordered gravely, "She's out here somewhere." They all transformed into their vehicular mode and began their search.

Bumblebee, who was heading north towards the small range of mountains, pausing every once in a while to listen to see if he was getting closer to the 'ping' sound. Beeping a small cheer, he refined his direction before pausing again to listen. Soon he came to the large, thick square piece of metal that was riddled with bullets and dents. Noting its position and figuring the trajectory of the holes, the scout looked in the direction the shots had come from, seeing a tiny glint of moonlight reflecting off of something. Over his communicator Bee relayed to the others where he had found their missing friend before speeding off in that direction.

Elita had to get out of the base. It had been two days since the incident at the mine and just had to get out. She had discovered years earlier that when she felt extremely stressed that target practice helped her calm down. Like she was able to put the ideas that were causing the stress onto the bullets and sent them away. Maybe not the healthiest idea in the world, but it worked. And besides, nothing was more stressful than the mother hen named Ratchet back at the base as he followed her around, running scans when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

It also gave her a chance to sight in her new toy. Agent Fowler had brought it a couple weeks back and she never got the opportunity to do so. The base didn't really have the distance she needed to do it properly, and she never knew when Miko might pop-up in the wrong place.

When she spotted the yellow sports car come up next to her target Elita sighed and dropped her head, moving the muzzle of the gun up, per safety protocol. If Bee was here, then the others were possibly looking for her, too. Back up on her feet, she shouldered the weapon and began her decent off of the mountain side to meet them as they came up. Bumblebee was the first one at her side, asking in his own way if she was alright.

"I'm fine, really." He gave her a few incredulous beeps. "Yeah, well… can't be helped." She couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face, despite the roll of her eyes as he continued. Despite his lecture being a bunch of beeps, clicks, and squeals, his tone wasn't condescending. "I know you had felt as helpless as I do. That's why I opted to be a sniper. Out of the way but still helpful to the front line combatants." The other three were with them a short time later, transforming after they had stopped.

"Are you crazy?" Bulkhead asked her, using the same tone that he used with Miko when she'd pull one of her stunts. He was holding the piece of metal that she was using for target practice.

"Not only are you opening yourself up to being spotted by humans, but Decepticons, too." Arcee reminded her.

"And staying at the base does me nothing," Elita said, doing her best to not let her short fuse get the best of her with her friends. They have done nothing but open their home and arms to her and the last thing she wanted to do to repay that kindness was disregard it all because she felt bad. "Ratchet is driving me up the walls."

Optimus nodded slightly, "He might be, but it is because he has your best at the forefront of his mind." His hand was out, however; waiting for her to place her weapon in it. With a disgruntled sigh she passed him her weapon and followed Bulkhead and Bumblebee into the ground bridge that opened up before them. Arcee walked with Optimus, but was watching her friend.

[Location: Autobot Base]

Ratchet was at her side, running his scan, as soon as he shutdown the ground bridge. Arcee had to turn her back to keep Elita from seeing her smile, though Optimus saw it and shared it slightly. The medic was always a bit over protective of them all, but they could tell that this was a bit more. When Ratchet finished the scans, Elita-One moved past him to head further into the base. "I'll be in my room."

Optimus had set the rifle up on a high shelf, put in just for the weapon, and moved over to his friend's side as the red and white bot looked over his readings. "How is she doing?"

"The virus she had created does its job very well, and that is a bad thing for us," Ratchet said gravely. The screen showed her brain core, the sections filled with data were dotted in white while where the virus was currently attacking in red. The areas that the virus had already attacked were dark. "She has a week left, at most."

Prime's face firmed as he nodded. "And what is going to happen after the virus has completed its task?"

"I don't know, Optimus." Ratchet was too focused on the screen, "It could be that she'd be a blank slate, but alive. Or just an empty shell. Until we get to that point we won't know for sure."

Their leader only nodded, his face showing the sorrow at the thought of losing another Autobot, short lived as their relationship had been. The pair walked over to the other three in their ranks, who were looking at something.

Bulkhead focused up at Optimus. "As Miko puts it, it's gonna suck when the virus has taken its toll." The wrecking bot held up the metal plate Elita was using for target practice. It had a light set of rings painted on it, to give a focus at the center, with a few dents around the sides. But it was the center, when she had gotten the weapon truly sighted in, that was just one massive set of dents. In the center of the dents was what could easily be described as a crater.

"She's one Pit of a shot," Arcee agreed. Bumblebee 'vocalizing' his agreement.

Then they all quieted, as if the reality of the situation finally sank in.

The kids made their daily appearance at the base the following afternoon. Ever so hyper Miko started rocking practically as soon as they arrived, Bulkhead joining her. Elita had been lounging in her room, listing to the classical music playing in her head. She had found it funny that the files on her MP3 player that was in her lab coat pocket were transferred during the accident, but was glad when she had made the little discovery one night when she wished she had something to listen to.

When music in her head suddenly died, Elita opened her eyes. All she could hear was Miko playing along with some Slash Monkey's song, ruining the absolute silence she was enjoying. With a groan, Elita pulled herself to her feet and made her way into main room of the base. Seeing Ratchet as agitated as she was about the noise made the fem-bot feel better about her own.

Marching up to the pair, she gently tapped Bulkhead as high up on his shoulder as she could. He turned and smiled, "Come to jam with us again?"

"Some of us were using the quiet to think." She had her hands on her hips to help show her agitation. "Quiet as in no chatting, no noise, and no music of any kind." At seeing them both look at her she only rolled her red eyes with a shake of her head, her arms dropping to her side as she walked off. She was wishing that she had the music from her MP3 player still to help block out the noise Miko enjoyed.

Miko, who was standing next to her bot on the raised platform, just watched her walk off. "Worst case of PMS ever," she mumbled as Jack and Raf had walked up behind her, curious as to what had Elita so agitated.

Since she had managed to quiet the room, Ratchet had looked up at their newest in their ranks as she passed. He hadn't had a chance in the last few hours to scan her to check her progress, but she didn't stop to talk to him.

"Elita," the medic called after her. "Come here please." With a drop of her shoulders, a roll of her head back as she groaned she walked back over to the medic. He ran his usual scan over her as she tapped her foot. As he looked over the data she openly spoke her mind.

"It's just like some form of Alzheimer's," she mumbled, "If she could beat cancer then I can beat this."

"If 'who' could beat cancer?" Jack asked, as curious as the rest of them since she rarely spoke of her past aside from what got her tied into their lives recently.

The red and silver bot turned to face the teen. "My…" and she stopped, realization crossing her face as she couldn't remember who she was speaking about. It was somebody close to in her life. Why couldn't she put a name to the face. With an angry shout, she grabbed one of the computer stations and threw it across the room. It shattered as it hit the wall.

"Elita!" Ratchet drew her name out in agitation, "I needed that!"

She focused on the medic bot. "When this virus is done with me you can rest my shell in its place and put it to good use." The shock passed over not only Ratchet's and Bulkhead's faces at the morbid thought, but it made the kid's jaws drop as well. Twisting around, she marched over to the shelf her rifle rested. "I need to go sight in my rifle." She had grabbed the weapon and a plate with several circles painted on it before heading to the ground bridge controls. "I haven't had a chance to do so since I got it."

"You can't leave," Bulkhead rushed towards her, his hand resting on hers on the switch.

"It's an isolated place and it's not like you guys can't track me 'cause of this thing." Pulling the switch down, activating the ground bridge, "I need fresh air." Elita hefted her weapon onto her shoulder and walked through the gateway, it winking shut behind her.

Ratchet's jaw was loose as he watched her leave. "She doesn't even remember her mother anymore…"

[Author's Note]

I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME NOR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW.