It was approximately 7:00 in the morning and Mika found herself watching her guardian intently. Currently her home was empty of any parental figure as her and Miko's host parents were gone for a good portion of the day, not that Mika was complaining. So here she was with her guardian in the garage watching as Chromia tinkered with one of her weapons and while she was fascinated with their tech in weaponry, Mika's love veered else here and that was history and inventing. This was a very good thing in her opinion because her science class sent everyone home to do projects that are at least half of their grades just a few days prior to today. She just knew Miko had procrastinated, but she also had no room to talk.

Mika had no idea really on what to do for her project, she could pick something she'd invented but... well they were lacking in the oomph she needed for a good grade. Sighing in despair on the subject, she looked back to Chromia who was half growling at her weapon. "Chromia?"

"Huh?" Chromia turned, the growl quickly stopping as her frustrated gaze turned to her charge. "What?"

"I'm bored." Mika stated, watching as Chromia rose a robotic brow as if asking what she was expecting her to do about it, "Can you tell me more about Cybertron?"

Blinking in surprise, Chromia gave a thoughtful humm as her processor was a whir of thoughts. What would Mika even be interested in hearing about? There was just so much history to their home world... She peered around the garage in hopes something could possibly help her out when her eye's spotted a picture of a Pterodactyl. "Did you know we had something similar to earths Dinosaurs? " She inquired, watching in great satisfaction as Mika's attention was solely trained on her. "We called them Dinobots..."

After a while of what Mika called Cybertron 101, the time for school neared by fast. Chromia was quick to urge Mika to get ready, said girl racing through her house for her things before pausing when she peered in at Miko still snoring away in her bed. Blinking, Mika quickly turned to the clock and let out a loud 'eeep!' before she promptly dropped her things and made her way over to the lump on the bed.

"Miko!" Mika shook her sister. "Wake up!"

"Hmmmnnn wha?" Miko woke, rubbing her face with a loud yawn. "Mika" She whined. "I was having an awesome dream... Why'd you wake me?"

"We're going to be late for school!" Mika shouted in her twins ear before taking off, picking up her stuff, and all but tripping down the stair's while she listened to the loud thumps of Miko who crashed out of bed to get ready. "Hurry up!"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME EARLIER?!"

Chromia waited patiently for her charge and nearly laughed when she spied her tumbling out of the house and crashing into Bulkheads still recharging form. Said bot woke with a loud snort and a startled yell before Mika patted his door and telling him they were late. This sight was soon joined by Miko who tumbled out of the house in the same manner Mika had and crashed into her, sending both back into Bulkhead.

"Ow!" Mika whined, holding her head with a scowl.

"Sorry..." Miko mumbled, her hair slightly disheveled as she threw her things into the back seat of Bulkheads alt. "Pedal to the Metal Bulk!" Miko ordered before diving into the passenger seat just as Mika hopped onto Chromia and the two bots tore off.

When school had ended hours later (Miko and Mika having just barely made it into class before the school bell rang while Chromia and Bulkhead practically sagged in exhaustion at having to drive as fast as they could in as short amount of time as possible) Mika found herself making her way down the school stairs to greet Chromia, only when she arrived to the spot she'd left her bot it appeared as if Chromia was not there. Blinking in surprise, She looked round the school lot and frowned when she couldn't find her and so she went to turn around to Miko who had been behind her only to see her twin was gone too.

"Miko?" She called in confusion only to freeze when the door's opened not to her sister... but to Marco Santiago.

"Well, well, well." A sinister smirk made its way onto his mouth as pearly white teeth gleamed. Voices sounded from behind him as his lackeys joined him. "If it isn't the local freak."

"Marco..."

"And what's this? No Piglet here to protect you?" He taunted before nodding to his friends. "I love it when I'm right."

"Heh yeah." One of the boys with him snickered. "You said she wouldn't be here to protect her all the time."

"I just said that." Marco scowled, cuffing the back of the guys head. "Idiot."

Mika stared at him in terror before her body acted just as instinct's screamed at her.

Run.

And Mika ran, tearing down the school steps and her feat pounding the cement as the shouts of Marco called to go after her. Mika moved as fast as possible, skidding around a corner and another to go towards the back of the school. During her skid, Mika felt herself slightly slip but she was able to catch herself last minute before continuing around another corner, running up the stairs in back as she heard the other's slide around the corner after her.

Faster!

Mika picked up the pace as she tore into the building, feeling her legs burn with the speed she was going. She skid around another corner and made it to the main locker rooms of the Gym (where the PE teacher held the equipment), if she could just reach the girls locker room she knew she'd be safe! They wouldn't dare go there in fear of the females of the school beating them up for being perverts. She raced past a few lockers, avoiding a few students who yelped when the ones behind her shoved them out of the way.

"Get back here unwanted!"

She skid another corner and silently wished the straggling students would help her but knew they wouldn't, they never helped her. Not even the teacher's would help her as they thought she was a freak too but had no proof to back it up aside from the student bodies wild claims of her being some sort of monster. Mika desperately thought to her twin through the bond, pleading with her to find her, Mika was scared because her rock wasn't with her and she felt weak without Miko by her side. As she neared the girls locker room someone stepped in the way, one of the more popular girls who hated her too, Rebecca Lainfield. Mika turned a different way, heading towards the emergency exit and didn't care that it would set off the school alarm as she forced the door to open with the siren blaring behind her.

But this was a mistake as someone had been waiting behind the door and stuck their foot out causing Mika to go flying down onto the cement with a scream. She slammed down harshly, loosing her breath for a moment, and before she could push herself up to run once more a body slammed onto hers.

"You think you're so tough."

He caught her...

"No!" Mika struggled only to cry out when someone kicked her stomach making pain flair through her body. "No!"

"No, no!" Marco mocked, grabbing a fist full of hair to pull her head back. "No ones going to help you freak. They want you gone just as much as I do! And until you leave, I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

Another kick was sent her way as Marco's lackeys surrounded them laughing and Mika cried to the sky in her mind, why? Why was it always her? Why did they all hate her so much!? She felt a strange prodding deep within, similar to Miko but rough in compassion, as if it was uncertain and had never done so with a delicate touch before. Mika was desperate though, she'd questioned this prodding before when she felt it but this time she just wanted help and she allowed whatever was prodding at the bond in, and as if the thing felt all of her fear and pain and desperation to be free she felt a shock and fury in response and she hoped to god it was actually Mika coming to save her...

Her mind was ripped from its small safe haven when her body was flung over and Marco pinned her hands down, along with someone on her feet. "Just because you hide behind your twin, you think you are safe? You think we won't find you?"

"No! Let go!"

"Nooo, let go." Marco mocked before slapping her face and causing her glasses to go flying and clatter upon the ground, unknowingly beside a stranger's feet who had just stepped in to observe the scene. "Shut up!"

Mika could spend hours wondering why, why he hated her. Marco Santiago had hated Mika since day one, and one by one other's fell in line with him in his hatred, but she still never knew why... They only gave vague reasons, that she was to different from them and they didn't like it. That she was too weird, to quiet and reserved... but Mika didn't find a point in being social with people who didn't like her, so why would she? That and being around so many people made her anxious, nervous. She didn't feel brave enough when her rock was gone either, and they picked on her for that, for being so dependent on Miko... they said it was creepy.

"We don't want freaks like you here." Mika felt him hiss in her ear and his eye's filled with malice.

No one ever wanted her...

"Even your parents abandoned you." He sneered.

Abandoned...

"Your unwanted trash!"

Unwanted...

"Unneeded!"

Unneeded..

Suddenly the painful feeling of being struck by either hands or feet stopped and Marco was suddenly ripped off of her screaming which soon followed by other's screams before all faded into silence, but Mika knew she wasn't alone, no, there was someone there. She rolled over and shakily searched for her glasses, hand's patting the blurred ground as she searched until her hands came into contact with larger ones.

Warm ones.

Gasping, Mika reeled back in fear and looked where she assumed the person was with wide eye's. Would he strike her too? She wondered as she waited, in silence. Perhaps if she were to remain silent she wouldn't be struck again. Spotting movement, Mika froze as suddenly those warm hands placed her glasses over her face and Mika was greeted with the sight of a man she'd never seen before. This man stood tall, his body lithe for being a male, and strands of bluish black hair hung over a sharp angled face. She couldn't see his eye's, in which were hidden by futuristic wrap around visor sunglasses that hid him from view. His thin lips were stretched in a grim line and his hand reached from his side, body decked out in a faded blue suit with almost glowing purple seams. The pale hand rested on her cheek almost curiously, admittingly Mika flinched at the foreign touch, soon followed by the other hand that curiously caressed a strand of hair.

Mika didn't know what to say, she was scared and uncertain what his intentions were but something inside her kept her still, something kept her from running and allowed this weirdo to be curious. Her heart hammered in her chest and her emotions were going haywire as new ones veered it's head.

Sorrow, regret, emptiness, and ever so lightly affection. The intense emotions caused her breath to hitch and eyebrows to furrow even more, who was this man? She blinked in shock when she suddenly found herself wrapped into a loving embrace, not the weird kind but the kind family would give each other.

The Kind Miko only gave her.

A tear fell, followed by another as her frustrations and confusion reached a boil and she willed herself to speak. "W-who are you?" Her voice sounded hoarse to her but the man pulled back and rested his forehead against her.

'Sparkling.'

Mika blinked, what was a sparkling? Who was speaking to her? That voice was not Miko.

'Sparkling...'

'Who are you?' She responded.

Happiness flooded her and the man smiled as he pulled back, the warmth from the feeling and the smile rushing through her and leaving her breathless, almost as if... as if she were having a reunion with someone long since thought lost...

"Mika!"

The man looked behind Mika before back to her, tucking a hair behind her ear before bringing her forehead close and placing a light kiss to it. He got up, hand lingering on her head before reluctantly leaving and casting her such an expression that she had a feeling he would seek her out again.

"Mika!"

Mika turned to the voice of Miko before back to the man only to gasp in shock when she couldn't find him anywhere, how'd he do that?! It was as if he vanished out of thin air! She heard Miko skid to a halt next to her and her hands frantically flying over her body in worry as she repeatedly demanded to know where Marco was so she could kick his ass, all the while crying because she hadn't gotten there soon enough. When Miko gained no reply she repeatedly said how sorry she was, that the teacher had nabbed her last second to discuss her bad grades.

Mika said nothing, her mind was on that man...

Who was he?

...

...

...

Three day's had passed since the Space Bridge incident, since the un-dead Cybertronian's almost got through the bridge, and two days had passed since Mika got beat up and met that strange man. She couldn't stop wondering about him, even though she kept herself busy doing her project, and often found herself thinking about him and the odd feelings that filled her when he had been around. She wondered if he were even real or perhaps a figment of her imagination? But then again, a figment couldn't have gotten Marco and the others off of her and scared them away... and he felt real to her. She wasn't sure how long the thought on who he was would haunt her... but she supposed she should try and keep him off her mind for now as she had more important things to do...

Like her project.

Tinkering with said thing, Mika continuously thanked Chromia over and over gain in her head for helping her with the idea. Over the time she'd been assigned as Chromia and Ratchets charge she'd grown used to them, (being roughly four or five days) her bond with Chromia was bigger then Ratchet as he didn't have to keep an eye on her too often with the sudden silence from the Decepticon's. But according to Optimus, this was more worrisome as he knew they were laying in wait to strike when they least expected it. He just knew they were scheming something and with Megatron out of the Picture, Starscream had taken his place and the seeker was even more unpredictable then Megatron.

This made them all nervous.

"Looking good." Mika turned from her project to the smirking Chromia and gave a grin in reply, the two had bonded even more when Chromia had discovered her love for inventing things and her curiosity in weaponry. After she'd found that out Chromia often snuck Mika out to show her their shooting range over the past two days and the girl would watch as she trained and practiced with her guns. "And this is for your Science project?" Chromia inquired.

"Uh huh..." Mika muttered, tightening a few bolts on the metal contraption that lay hidden beneath a sheet and then turning to read a translated data pad that her guardian had given her to use.

Mika had wanted to build something cool and when Chromia had told her about Cybertronian Dinosaurs she had gotten her idea and thus her project was born, Project Dinobot! Giddy and unable to sit still, Mika had gotten to work straight away using spare scrap metal that Chromia had laying around her berth room (Unknown to her that it was actually scrap metal that had previously been the outer shell of a few Vehicon's. It was best that no one knew how she squired the armor of said con, just that they must be really embarrassed facing Starscream right now.)

"Will you give him a name?" Chromia inquired, not that it really mattered as the thing was just an inanimate object. "You never told me exactly WHAT Dinosaur you decided to Dinobotify."

"Hm." Was the girls only reply as she narrowed her eye's in concentration and suddenly paused. "Dinobotify?" She mused, was that even a word? Shaking her head, Mika returned to her task at hand. Finally after twenty minutes of silence, Mika gave a large accomplished grin as she readied to tear off the tarp to show her guardian her project. "I shall call him Swoop!"

The tarp was ripped off and there before them stood a miniature sized metal Pterodactyl with dim blue optics.

"Whoa!" Chromia blinked before leaning down. "Wow Mika this is so realistic looking! I've seen pictures of them but... how'd you do all this without me seeing it? Wait... whats under that part?"

Mika looked to where Chromia had been pointing to see another lump under part of the tarp she'd kept hidden next to her project Swoop and she sheepishly smiled at her bot. "Uh... present for Miko?"

"Mika..."

"Okay..." Mika sighed before pulling the rest of the tarp back to reveal a second invention, a Triceratops. "It's going to be a birthday present... there was spare metal so..." She sheepishly kicked at the ground making Chromia to shake her head.

"As long as you don't do her work for her."

Mika blinked before scowling. "I'd never do that." With that Mika turned back to Swoop and picked him up, cuddling the metal thing that was the size of a cat. "You will be the best ever Swoop!" She nuzzled closer to it before an explosion rocked the base and sent her falling over the railing she'd been leaning against. "AHH!"

"Decepticon's!" Ratchets voice echoed as the thumps of his and another pede's echoed as he entered the room followed by Optimus. "By the Allspark!" Ratchet shouted just as Mika fell over the railing. Ratchet sprang to action and caught the human (While Optimus continued on to check on the noise) before she could harm herself. "Mika! Are you alright?"

Mika had her eye's clenched but when she heard Ratchet's voice she opened them cautiously before giving a smile of relief. "I'm okay..." She smiled up to him causing the bot to stare at her for a moment (As only recently she seemed to send him smiles instead of frowns which confused him) before whatever he'd been thinking was interrupted by another explosion rocking the base and smoke drifted down the hall from the main room. (Mika having been doing her project in another part of the base.)

Attention now back on what had happened before, Ratchet was quick to cradle Mika to his chest before running out to the main part of the base. "What is it?! Are we under attack!?"

Coughing could be heard before Raf's voice echoed around. "It's My Volcano..." More coughing is heard before the smoke clear's to reveal Rafael in front of a mess of what used to be his project.

"It is no attack." Optimus confirmed, leaning against the wall as he watched the children and his soldiers in amusement.

"W-whoa! Hey! Hold still Bulk!" Ratchet turned to Miko who was wobbling on Bulkhead's hand as he attempted to keep her steady while she lifted a paint brush to what appeared to be a model of the humans solar system. "Jupiter needs it's red spot!" She stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated and leaned forward only for a small blotch of paint to fall and splatter onto the ground. "Whoopsie..."

Blinking, the Autobot medic huffed in annoyance at both being startled and having stared at his charge longer then he intended. "What is going on in here?"

Optimus let a smile slip when no one was looking, noticing how his bots had grown closer to their charges and how well they seemed to interact with each other. Miko was a perfect fit to Bulkhead, like two puzzle pieces that had been missing fitting together well. Rafael seemed to fit with Bumblebee as a sort of little brother and it was adorable watching them interact at times, Optimus could see the great care Bee had for Rafael. Even Arcee seemed to grow on her charge faster then she'd ever grown to any other even Cybertronian's, this was both a blessing and a worry as if something happened to him; Optimus worried what the ending result would be. Chromia and Ratchet were another story indeed. Chromia had taken to Mika as a mother figure, the motherly role taking on almost instantly when the two were together made his spark clench at the reminder of the two sparklings she'd lost before and he thanked Primus for this second chance for his weapons specialist, if only her mate was here to share in her joy.

Ratchet, Optimus narrowed his eye's at his medic and noted how Ratchet held Mika protectively, Ratchet had previously denied any care for the girl but Optimus could see him slowly warming up to her as he noted the medics few secretive glances and scan's for health. Though he may hide it well from others, Optimus could see Ratchet beginning to warm up to Mika even if just a little. He also knew that Ratchet would deny any of this and use the excuse that he was just trying to do his 'job'.

"You see, our project's are due tomorrow." Jacks voice called, said teen was on the floor with a model of a motorcycle laying before him in an incomplete mess. He grumbled to himself as he scratched his head with a wrench while reading instructions in confusion.

"This wouldn't have happened if you guys didn't procrastinate." Mika accused and scolded.

"Oh yeah?" Miko challenged as she looked up from her painting. "Where's your project?"

Mika smirked down to her sister before tossing a thumb lazily over her shoulder. "I've just started placing the finishing touches."

"No fair!"

"Hmm... Perhaps it needs one of these doohickies?" Arcee spoke to Jack as she offered a muffler, though her words made Mika laugh a little.

"Muffler Arcee!" She called in mirth as Ratchet finally placed her down on the landing and she began to lean on it.

Jack put his hands on his hips and rose an eyebrow at Arcee in a teasingly challenge. "You're a motorcycle Arcee; shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?"

"I don't know." She took the challenge before mimicking his stance. "You're a human Jack; can you build me a small intestine?"

"Give him nine months!" Miko snickered and Mika made a face.

"Ew! And who would that be with, huh Miko?" The two shared a mischievous look before turning to Jack.

"Sierra!" They both said in a squeal like sing song voice which sent the boy into three different shades of red.

"Shut up!" He growled. "I hate when you guys do that."

"You know you love us~ Oh wait... never mind! He loves Sierrrrrraaaa." The replied causing Jack to groan.

"What is it that you have made Mika?" Optimus spoke up, he'd seen all of the other's projects but he'd gone by Mika so quick he hadn't the time to see hers and he was curious as to what the girl had come up with.

Mika, blushing at the sudden attention as everyone began staring at her, smiled up to him shyly. "I'm making a miniature Dinobot." She watched his expression widen for a split second before he tilted his helm slightly and Mika had to say it was kinda adorable... "I hope you don't mind-" She continued on though Ratchet was complaining to the others about their projects in the background, and pulled up her Pterodactyl to show Optimus. "-But Chromia has been teaching me a little about Cybertron. When she was telling me about some of the history about the Dinobot's I got curious and when I saw the pictures I decided to try and build a small scale model... to the school it'd be just a dinosaur robot but to you guys..."

"You've done a wonderful job." Optimus spoke making her smile shyly at him in appreciation and Optimus had to say that he liked it better when the girl smiled instead of frowned. She seemed to have done that a lot at first but lately over the past two days she's been smiling more and he hoped it was due to his Autobot's that brought it out of the girl, and that she was finding friendship here rather then enemies as Miko once told him she had to many of.

"Well you can't work on your projects in here!" Ratchets voice interrupted causing the girl to turn back to the medic who was huffing.

"You had no problem with mine." She pointed out making him sputter for a moment.

"You don't even work in this area." Miko sassed. "So it's not like we'll be bothering you! Besides, Optimus seems fine with it so NYA!" She stuck her tongue out at Ratchet making him reel back and then glare to Optimus who chuckled at him.

"Truly, old friend, what is it hurting?" Optimus asked only to put his hands up in a mock surrender when Ratchet took a stomp forward and pointed at him.

"My sanity that's what."

"Pff! You lost that a long time ago old man." Miko taunted making Ratchet growl at her.

"Why you- I'm not old!" He huffed.

"The Science fair is a big part of our grade." Raf protested, taking Ratchet's attention from his anger for a moment before Ratchet glared back to Miko who huffed and slumped on her butt with her arm's crossed in defiance.

"Yeah, sides if Bulkhead can't help me finish this model of our solar syst-"

"And what does Bulkhead know of your solar system?" Ratchet fired at her. "Or Bumblebee of your volcanoes?" He fired to Raf. "Or-"

"Arcee of our motorcycles?" Jack finished for Ratchet who nodded.

"Precisely! We are not earthlings and they are not scientists." Ratchet concluded only to blink when he noticed no one was paying attention to him and instead were leaning in to Miko (who's back was turned to him) who was talking to them a bit of a way's away when Ratchet had been speaking. "Hmm?"

"-so I had this new flavor of Ramen yesterday and I'm thinking of going for Miso Ramen today." Miko spoke while the others around her responded with 'uh huh' and 'alright'. The sight made Ratchet huff.

"Hey!"

Optimus turned to his medic before clearing his throat sheepishly. "Oh, sorry."

(An; What's that from? Hmm? Hmmmmm? You get a cookie if you get it along with a 'congratulations you have no life! Just like me, I'm so proud!.)

Miko however, payed no mind to Ratchet and instead leaned in to whisper to Bulkhead who curiously leaned towards her as she whisper yelled "-I'm telling you he's just jealous cause he's not the one helping Mika with her project. So he's cranky since Chromia's getting all the atten-"

"I beg your pardon!?" Ratchet growled to Miko. "And did you not hear a word I just said?"

"That is quite enough Ratchet." Optimus said as he stood from his leaning position, his tone leaving no room for arguing. "The Autobot's are guardians for the children, you included, what does it hurt to learn a little of Earth by helping our young friends with their school work? Is it not imperative that we learn more on the planet that is harboring us while we fight off the Decepticon's to protect it and look for a way to reclaim our home?"

"There is no reclaiming a desolate waste land." Ratchet muttered. "Well, Maybe our friends should learn more about Cybertron?" This he spoke loud enough to be heard.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Mika said in irritation to the grumpy medic who turned to look over to her and the project she'd previously been cuddling which was now resting safely next to her.

"Is that a-"

"-Dinobot yes." Chromia finished with a smirk. "What did you think we were doing Ratch? Braiding our hair? Doing our make up?" Her smirk grew as his optics twitched in annoyance.

"We exchanged lessons." Mika informed a tad nervous, worried he wouldn't like it. It had only been a few days with the bots and Mika felt safe with them, able to not have to constantly worry about how she acted around them, but also feeding off of Miko's positivity. "I told her about earths Dinosaurs and she told me about Cybertron's Dinobot's, it's all really fascinating!"

Ratchet stared for a moment, quiet honestly distracted by the excited gleam in her eye's as she spoke about his planets history and the genuine curiosity she seemed to have before he shook his head and returned speaking to Optimus. Mika was loving all this new and interesting information, she was very much curious about their planet and would jump at the chance to learn more about it. When she realized Ratchet and Chromia were still arguing with Optimus, Mika decided to return to Swoop and finish. One of the final touches being painting and Mika decided that Swoops main body would be blue, his wings would stay metal silver, his beak an orange/yellow, and the back part of his head and feet would be red. With painting her project came great concentration and therefor caused her to be unaware of her surroundings, thus missing the fact that Optimus ordered Bumblebee with him to a mission while Ratchet supervised the children and their projects (The other Autobots watching from a distance).

After around an hour of painting it was time for her to add the finishing touch to the creature and that was his own insignia in honor of the Autobot's, his very own Autobot logo. When that was completed Mika decided to leave Swoop to dry and then turned to the left over paint, deciding to use the remains to paint the Triceratops later. She then grabbed a spiked color that rested around swoops metal neck, the collar being black in color with red spikes and a small hanging bone (like a dog collar) with Swoop etched into it to show his name proudly! For now, all her robot could really do was move and screech but she planned later to try and make him fly like one of those controlled drones you could get in a hobby store.

"Hmm..." The sudden noise made Mika jump and she whirled around to see Ratchet's face leaning uncomfortably close to her as he attempted to watch what she was doing to her project.

Blushing in embarrassment and annoyance from being startled, Mika spluttered and placed her hands on the medics chin and began to shove at him. Said bot blinked when he felt the warm hands of his charge on his chin and blinked once more as she attempted to shove him back. "R-Ratchet! You scared me! Is that really necessary?!"

"Aww, Mika don't be mean!" Miko shouted from the floor causing the two to look down to her (As Mika was working on the landing while the kids were on the main floor.) "Maybe he just wanted a kiss?" Miko teased as she stood on her tip toes, hands cupped together up to her chin, and began making kissing noises.

Ratchet reeled back, his cheeks turning blue and it almost seemed like steam was escaping from where his ears would be should he be a human, "As if I would ever do such a thing with a squishy human! Let alone a child." Ratchet huffed, thoroughly embarrassed and aggravated.

"..."

"Uh oh... You made her mad~" Miko taunted. "That's a rare occurrence."

Ratchet paused and turned slowly to see Mika glaring at him (shocking him as he'd never seen her upset before) and seething and if he could pale he would. "...what?"

"I am not a child! AND DON'T CALL ME SQUISHY!" Mika huffed, having enough of being called that by the medic, before taking the wrench she had been using to tighten Swoops bolts and lugged it with all her strength. The wrench flew through the air and a loud clang is heard followed by Ratchet cursing.

"She just..." Arcee started in shock while Bulkhead nodded and Chromia guffawed from the ground (as she had fallen over with laughter).

"Yup..." Bulkhead mused while Ratchet full on stared at Mika in shock before growling and muttering to himself as he stormed off to his computers.

"I love my charge." Chromia continued laughing, once more going into guffaws when Mika's glare turned to her guardian. Chromia didn't think the girl had any back bone in her! What with her constantly being bullied and never sticking up for herself, and then her always being a bit reserved with the other's. But boy did she get that wrong! Chromia now knew that the backbone was hidden inside of Mika and she just itched to help bring it out, because if Chromia had her way then Mika wouldn't be getting picked on at all and instead be putting all those bullies in their place!

Or course Optimus wasn't to fond of hearing Chormia's wishes... Then again he wasn't fond of the thought of one of the children mercilessly (And helplessly) being bullied either. Chromia was brought back to reality when she noticed Ratchet back near Mika and the two were arguing, which lead Chromia to believe he was trying to tinker with her project.

"No."Mika said sternly without so much as looking at Ratchet.

"W-what?" He blinked innocently at her.

"No Ratchet."

"But-"

"No."

"What if I jus-"

"Nuh uh."

"... can I just r-"

"ZZZ!"

Ratchet pouted, ignoring the laughing Miko who watched the exchange. "Mika NEVER lets anyone touch her projects." Miko mused a she and the rest of the remaining bots watched. "It has to be 100% done by her or she scraps it."

"Why" Jack watched too, Arcee smirking at the scene.

"Because then she doesn't feel like it is hers anymore. She'll accept help with information but not help for building any of her inventions."

"How many inventions does she have?" Raf wondered curiously, pushing up his glasses when they fell down.

"Tons." Miko grinned before turning back to her project in dismay when she spotted Ratchet closing in on the rest of them (Clearly he'd given up on getting Mika to let him look at her project). "Control Freak." She muttered, looking to Bulkhead who groaned next to her as he nodded his head.

"Yup..."

...

...

...

When the Autobot's had left the next day to pick up their designated charges, Ratchet had been the first one to eagerly greet them. He swiftly marched over the the main part of the base to await the children getting out of their bots alternative modes (Optimus and Bumblebee had returned late on account of the mission they had, some Decepticon named Skyquake had been reawakened by Starscream and the two bots made quick work of him, much to Starscream's displeasure)

When all the children stepped foot off of their bot's the Medic was quick to greet them. "Hello!"

Miko paused, staring up at him before whispering to Mika, "Wait, he's happy to see us? Think he's sick?"

Mika lightly chuckled in response before Ratchet continued. "How were my- AHEM... our projects scored today?" He asked rather hopefully and Mika had to admit that he looked really cute right now..

"Well.." Jack cleared his throat and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Mine sort of... took off on its own."

"Mine broke the teacher's foot." Miko deadpanned.

"Uh... I blew a whole in the roof?" Ratchet said questioningly, also sadly as he'd failed that grade a long with the rest.

Pausing, Ratchet suddenly huffed in aggrivation. "Well! If it were on Cybertron then you would have gotten the highest score!" He grumbled and mumbled before storming off to the side.

"And how about your's?" Optimus inquired, sending a glance to his upset medic.

"I got an A!" Mika smiled up to him, pulling Swoop from her backpack. "He was the perfect project, thank you Mia!"

Chromia froze at the nickname, staring wide eye'd at her charge while Arcee sent her a concerned look. Chromia felt her spark clench as the words processed in her mind, only they were in another's voice that was calling her that.

"You did good." Arcee chipped in for her sister. "And don't you guys worry, you tried your best but..."

"Perhaps it would be best to stray from Ratchet in the future." Optimus mused and the children nodded, eager to agree.

...

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...

ABLEH! So here you have it! Another chapter rewritten! For those of you who read this and are like "AWWW WHAT ABOUT GRIMLOCK!" I did say I wanted to do some stuff different and well Swoop fits well with Mika too. So does Slag (The Triceratops) I just think they are a better fit.

Tune in next time on!

Transformers Prime: Pull Me Into The Dark

The Unwanted "Master and Students" (2,470 words)

Pull Me Into The Dark "Master and Students" (6,400 words)