One Shall Fall

Striker and I drove out of Las Vegas. Personally, I thought I looked amazing. But, I digress. Striker swears her gloss looks better. See, Megatron had recently messed up my paint job. And, since Striker made a large deal about us not spending enough time together, she convinced me that what our friend/rival-ship needed was a 'girls' day out in Vegas. I didn't argue. I needed the paintjob. I decided that instead of getting my paint redone the same old Decepticon-esque black, I would switch back to my original color scheme. We drove down the highway, my shiny silver gloss shining in the sun behind Striker's silver with glittering gold and red.

Optimus called, "Shadow?"

"Yes Optimus?"

Striker sighed, "Geez, we're not even five minutes out, and you're already back to guys. Some 'girls' day this is."

Optimus asked through the radio "Where are you?"

Striker mumbled, "Being pelted with questions right outside of Nun-ya Business, attention stealer."

"Driving back from Las Vegas," I answered him.

I heard Miko scream, "Cool!" in the background.

Striker gained interest. "What?" She asked playfully, "Miko's there? Well, how would you like to replace Shadow over there? That way I could have someone to take 'girls' day seriously."

Miko asked back, "Really?"

Jack said to the girl, "No, Miko. Striker's just playing."

"Ugh!" Miko cried, "I never get to do anything fun!"

The realization dawned on me. "Oh," I sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry OP, I completely forgot."

"It's fine," Optimus replied, "the children have only now arrived."

"Hey!" the kids simultaneously yelled, "We're not children!"

"Well then Optimus, if you could send a groundbridge my way, I could get to the not-children quicker."

Optimus chuckled. I smiled. Striker would have rolled her eyes at me if she could.

Optimus said to me, "One Groundbridge coming your way."

The green portal appeared in front of me, I slowed down and drove though. Striker had to turn around and enter the portal placed behind her. I arrived at the base first and transformed. I walked towards OP and the humans. Striker looked peeved. She just waved me off and went off to polish her blasters.

Miko's mouth hung open, "Shadow! What happened to your black paint?"

"Megatron hurt that paint job. So, I decided to go back to the basics."

"Well," Jack commented, "You look a lot more like an Autobot now."

"Yeah," Raf agreed, "Your red eyes, I mean optics, go a lot better now with your red symbol. On top of that, your silver color really does read as less evil."

"Hmm? You really think so. I thought it read more as losing the aspect of stealth. I think it's a lot more showy."

Striker persuaded me away from stealth. This 'showy' thing really isn't for me.

Optimus commented, "You look angelic."

I smiled, and my eyes went over to his. "Thanks Optimus," I said. His looked back into mine. I blushed. "Now, where were we?"

Miko rolled her eyes and said "You guys have to teach us how to dance 'properly'."

Bulkhead passed by, "Yeah, Miko can't get a detention from dancing incorrectly at the school's 'dance'."

Arcee added, "And Jack needs to learn how to, so that he doesn't ruin his date with Sierra. Some sort of human ritual." Arcee shook her head.

"And remind me again Arcee," I asked her, "Why you and Bulkhead couldn't have shown your humans the proper way to dance?"

"It's simple. We didn't want to, and Bee thinks the ritual isn't for muscle cars."

"Bee doesn't get it." Raf said. "I don't think he'll ever get it. But, could someone explain to me how Autobots are teaching us to dance? Did you even have dances on Cybertron?"

"Yes," I answered, "But they were a bit different. On the basis of how: Optimus and I simply downloaded the technique from your world wide web. How else did you think we learned how to do other human things like speak English?"

"I never thought of it that way." Raf responded.

"Boring," Miko complained. "Can we just get it over with already?"

"Come on Miko! The rest of my social life depends on learning how to dance."

Optimus began to explain, "The main thing you must remember is that the male leads and the female follows. If I am using my right ped, my partner should use her left."

Is Jack really taking notes? Man, that is kind of sad.

"As I was explaining before," Optimus reached his servos out to meet mine, "The male will put his right servo, I mean right hand, around the females waist and his left hand clasped with the females right hand out to the side. Whereas the female will put her left hand on the males shoulder."

We had gotten into this position. I felt giddy, as if sparks had energized my body by ten fold. I don't remember what Optimus said next. He probably explained more about the dance itself to the not-children. I gazed into his blue optics. I could feel my spark beat loudly. Our sparks were very close together. It filled me with excitement.

Music started to play. It was my choice of song, and I chose "Everything Will Be Alright" by the Killers. No particular reason. I just kind of chose it at random. I felt his metal on mine. We started to move our peds to the music.

…

"I believe in you and me, I'm coming to find you, if it takes me all night.
Wrong until you make it right, and I won't forget you. At least I'll try, and run, and run tonight."

We gazed into each other's optics. The chorus played.

"Everything will be alright… alright."

The music sped up some. Optimus sped up his movement, and so did I.

"I wasn't shopping for a doll... To say the least, I thought I've seen them all. But then you took me by surprise."

Optimus separated his servo from my waist. I did the same from his shoulder. He took a step back, and I spun.

"I'm dreaming 'bout those dreamy eyes. I never knew, I never knew. So take your suitcase, 'cause I don't mind…"

Optimus received me in a warm embrace. Our servos moved back. Mine to his shoulder, and his to my waist.

"And baby doll, I meant it every time. You don't need to compromise. I'm dreaming 'bout those dreamy eyes. I never knew, I never knew… But it's alright."

Optimus had never taken his gaze off of me. I was lost in his blue optics. Looking back on it, I would say that I had been in a trance. We both were.

"Everything will be alright… Everything will be alright… Everything will be alright…"

Optimus dipped me. I felt weightless in his arms. I was captivated by the Prime.

"Everything will be alright."

The song ended. I felt electrified. We gazed into each other's optics. We heard the kids moving onto their next thing. Optimus and I stood up and removed our grips, but we did not look away.

"You're angelic," he whispered underneath his breath. I smiled. My face was blushing a shade of red, but his smile made everything seem fine.

It took Ratchet walking past and saying, "Get a room," for us to look away from each other.

"Victoria?"

My spark beat deeply and loudly. I felt its pulse in my audio receptors.

I looked back at Optimus, "You remembered."

"How could I forget you?" He pulled me into another embrace.

"It's been a long time since I've heard someone call me by my name."

"I thought you had died."

"That exact fact permitted me to live."

I loved the feeling of lying in Optimus's arms. He was warm. It felt comforting. But, I had to back away. Reality had to be returned to us somehow.

"You don't want me to tell the others?"

"No, if word got out to the Decepticons, I'd go back to the top of their death list. There's a reason why everyone else…"

"I understand. Shadow it is, until we win this war."

"Nice to hear the other one though."

"How did you hide it from Megatron?"

"I lied to him. I told him that I didn't have a name prior to the war."

"And he believed you?"

"You forget that I've been trained in the art of deception."

"That's the same way you were able to spend your time at the Iacon database."

"Exactly. My creator –erm, father- always did have a knack for knowledge. It's a good thing he decided to pass down the more useful lessons."

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your logicality?"

"You never used the word love before… when talking about my traits."

"Well I do, I love… your logicality… and morality, and integrity, and saintliness, and—"

That's too far.

"Optimus," I interrupted him, "I'm flattered. But, you're making me look much better than I actually am."

"Well then, I am just blind. Because all I can see is this heavenly fair figure standing in front of me."

"Optimus, you're too kind. How am I ever supposed to compare that-self you see to the morally upright, honest, ever loyal, and amazing leader of the Autobots you are?"

We both smiled. I felt blissful. I felt my face go so red it became numb at his smile.

Ratchet coughed, "Hmm-hmm." I looked away. It took Optimus several more seconds before he did the same.

"What is it old friend?" Optimus said.

"Weren't we supposed to go over the prophecy?" Ratchet asked back, a little peeved.

"You can start Optimus," I said, "I'll go get the others."

I left to go get Striker first. She was pissed at first, but she got over it and rushed out to get Bee. I went out and brought Bulk, and Arcee back to the main area. By the time I got back, I found Striker and Bee listening in on our senior leadership. Optimus was already going over the prophecy with Ratchet.

"And it was foretold in the covenant of Primus," Optimus recited, "that when the forty spheres align, a perpetual conflict will culminate upon a world forged from chaos. And the weak shall perish in the shadow of a rising darkness."

Arcee asked, "No skies raining fire?"

"Goes without saying." Ratchet answered, "It is a doom prophecy after all."

"I say it's a load of hooey," Bulkhead said.

Ratchet said, "I'd always assumed the ancients had been referring to our own planet. But, being that Cybertron has been dark for eons—"

Optimus interrupted Ratchet, "And considering what has befallen this planet since Megatron's arrival here—"

"Woah, woah, woah," Bulkhead exclaimed, "We've known about these superstitions for ages and never gave them a second thought."

Arcee asked, "Why all the ominous ramblings now?"

Optimus spoke, seriousness resonating in his tone, "Because the planetary alignment to which this prophecy refers, is nearly upon us."

Ratchet added, "And it would seem its endpoint, is earth."

Bulkhead gulped, "Uh, crazy coincidence, r-right?"

Arcee asked, "How long are we talking?"

"A few days at most," Ratchet said.

Optimus said, "However unsettling this revelation may be, I am more concerned about those who might believe that the prophecy speaks to them alone."

"You mean Megatron?"

"Precisely."

"Optimus," Ratchet asked, "what should we do?"

"Shadow, what do you think?"

Striker nudged my arm.

I answered, "Optimus, I do not know why you would be asking me. But, I would try to plan ahead on Megatron's actions."

"How so?"

"Well, he thinks power and dark energon are synonymous with one another. So, if he truly believes this prophecy relates to him, he'll act on impulse to gain more."

"Why does she get so much attention all of the sudden?" Bulkhead asked Arcee.

Striker started to mouth the words, "Because they love each other—"

I put my hand in her face to shut her up and said "No reason. I don't think it'll happen again."

The group more or less dispersed. Optimus was glued to the monitor, searching for signs of Megatron. Ratchet was probably fixing something. Bulk, Bee, Striker, and Arcee left to do their own things. The kids went on Raf's computer or something. I decided to wait by Optimus's side, incase something did happen.

I heard Ratchet laugh from behind me, "Haha." I turned to see what was going on.

"Ratchet actually laughed?" Miko asked in disbelief. The doctor was unsure of what to do next.

Jack turned to Optimus and I, "Optimus, Shadow, you guys wanna see something funny?"

"No," Optimus replied in a monotonous voice.

I stayed by his side, but watched my surroundings.

"I'm fine."

The group came back. Or, or maybe they never left. I wasn't sure. They weren't exactly my priority.

"Don't take it personally," Arcee said, "Prime's are built that way."

Bulkhead added, "Never seen Optimus laugh, cry, or lose his cool."

I didn't respond.

Ratchet said, "While Optimus certainly keeps his emotions in check, I have known him far longer than any of you have."

I tried to cover my tracks, "So, what was he like?"

The doctor continued, "He was different before he was made a Prime."

"Optimus wasn't always a Prime?" Raf asked.

I smiled, like an idiot.

Ratchet explained, "On Cybertron, one isn't born into greatness, rather one must earn it."

I walked over to the group.

Striker exclaimed, "Hey! Look who decided to join us." She said it as if joining them was the last thing on my mind.

Did she really not find me sociable? Deception… and the subject of earning things.

"Except for the high council," I added, "They didn't really have to earn much."

Optimus called out from behind me, "That's because they were already great."

I smiled and shook my head. Striker rolled her eyes in disgust.

Miko asked, "So, different how? We talkin' party animal?"

Ratchet hushed the thought, "No, no, Optimus was more like… Jack."

"What?" Jack asked. "I'm nothing like a—"

"Prime!" Agent fowler yelled on the monitor. "Those tech heists my department's been tracking. We've figured it was MECH on account of the stealth tactics. Until a moment ago when a video feed from the Pernington Febbs Particle Collider captured this." A picture of Soundwave appeared on screen.

"Soundwave," Jack said.

Miko joked, "Raf can swap that out for you with a funny cat."

Fowler ignored her and continued, "That con without a face made off with a cutting edge phase conductor. Here's a punch list of everything else confirmed stolen to date." Agent Fowler hung up and the list of the items showed on screen.

Ratchet looked over the list, "Plasma injector, Neutron shield, Teseract… There is only one thing missing if they are intending to build another space bridge."

"Hey Bee," Raf called, "Wanna go racing?"

"Scrap yes!" Bee beeped in response. The two males left. Everyone went back to what they were doing. All until Agent Fowler called back, this time from a helicopter with a very annoyed tone.

Fowler called, "The cons really stepped at it this time. They hit a US military lab. I've ordered the boys in green to fend them off 'till your team shows."

Optimus said, "Agent Fowler, I fear that Megatron's desperation may be at its zenith. And you know that I cannot condone even a single human casualty."

Fowler hung up.

Ratchet opened a ground bridge.

Optimus commanded, "Bulkhead, Striker, Arcee, you three come with me."

I complained, "Come on Optimus! Why do I have to stay back?"

"Shadow," Optimus said, "You should go and find Bee. We may require additional firepower."

I shrugged. The lug-nut had at least half of a point.

Striker shook her head back and forth as if she was disappointed in me. She took a step away from the ground bridge and said, "I'm the fastest speed car we've got here. I'll go get Bee."

Optimus opened his mouth to say something, but if he was, Striker interrupted him.

"This is obviously the smart decision. Anything else would be dumb in comparison." As she walked past me, she whispered, "You owe me one," and then she transformed back into her silver race car form with the red ricing stripe and glittering gold finish. She was gone before anyone could object.

"Autobots," Optimus called, "transform and roll out!"

We drove through the ground bridge and ended up in a mostly destroyed military base. Vehicles were on fire, and humans were fleeing. We arrived right in the middle of the action. In media res. We transformed and ran at the enemy Vehicons. OP, Arcee, and Bulk fired on them. The vehicons fired back. A squadron of fighters swooped in from above. I was prepared to take cover. Instead, Optimus stepped in front of me, protecting me from the flying cons' fire. The vehicons landed and Team Prime shot back. I felt useless from a distance.

I ran forward at the group of vehicons and I slashed at their blasters. It was the least I could do to help Team Prime. With their blasters offline, my comrades came to join me on the offensive. I fought to disable my enemies. The others were fighting valiantly to win. The entire scene seemed to go by like a blur. It wasn't before long that the vehicons were taken out. But then, Megatron arrived.

"Optimus," he called.

"Megatron," our leader responded, "Do you not see the folly in trying to force a prophecy to see fruition?"

"Why leave matters to fate? If one can forge one's own destiny?"

Is he still annoyed that Optimus got chosen for Prime instead of him?

Megatron gasped, "Ah, speaking of fate…"

We heard loud, sad footsteps behind us. I turned around, and saw our two late comrades. Bee walked to us carrying Raf in his arms. Striker gripped her arm with her hand. Both bots looked hurt, but it was neither of them that stole our attention. Compared to them, it was the human who did not look well.

"Raf!" Arcee called. She took Raf from Bumblebee, "He's breathing, barely."

"Ahah!" Megatron exclaimed, "It would seem I have swatted at Bees and squashed a bug!"

Life sparked back into their defeated looking optics. Striker drew and pointed her blaster. Her arm shook, and fell back down to her side. She muttered something under her breath to Bee, and glared daggers at Megatron.

Bee roared with anger—beeped with anger. He raised both of his blasters, something Striker couldn't.

"Bee, No!" Bulkhead stopped his friend.

Megatron laughed.

Optimus COM'd base, "Ratchet, bridge us back now!" A ground bridge appeared behind us. "Arcee, attend to Rafael, Striker, and Bumblebee."

None of our comrades argued. They just looked defeated and sad. It tore at my spark, knowing just how far Megatron went to make us look fallen.

They left through the portal. The Nemesis flew overhead.

Megatron looked up at it, while he was distracted, we ran behind cover. Megatron looked back at where we were, assumed we had gone back to base, and went onto the Nemesis's elevator. As soon as he was out of sight, we ran to one of the Nemesis's appendages, climbed on, and continued toward a wing. We kept climbing upward, up a 60 degree angled wing. It was pretty steep, and the wind speeds around us did not help. I looked down; at least I could fly if I fell.

We reached the bulk of the ship. Bulkhead got out one of his wrecking balls and made us an entrance into a vent. He went through first. Optimus motioned for me to go in next. He trailed behind me. We had entered through a narrow vent; Bulkhead used his swing again, in order to break the metal beneath us. Bulkhead jumped into a dimly lit room, he knocked out a Vehicon whom he had landed next to. I went next and sliced the gun of the con I landed next to. I then finished him with a swift blow to the spark chamber. The third vehicon charged his laser at Bulk and I. Optimus landed on that one, slicing through his torso and killing him on impact. The last vehicon fired at Optimus. Prime fired back, knocking the con into an electrical circuit, and killing him.

Frag. He's getting really violent. Especially with me here. Wait a second… I am too, aren't I? Have I not been?

Optimus walked to the edge of the platform and confirmed the vehicon's death. He COM'd to base, "Ratchet, how's Rafael?" I assume Ratchet delivered some bad news because Optimus replied, "He's in good hands," then after another silence, "Pull yourself together old friend, Rafael needs you." Another silence. No mention of my teammates. "Lock onto my coordinates and activate the ground bridge." Optimus commanded.

Bulkhead carried the most recently stolen Decepticon item on his back, "Ready," he said.

"Bulkhead, Shadow, return to base, there is something I must do."

"You're serious?" Bulkhead asked.

"I have been foolish not to see what history has proven over and over again. That Autobots and Decepticons will never mend their ways. If there can be no diplomatic solution to this perpetual conflict, then I must not allow any more darkness to fall, upon this, or any planet. Megatron must be destroyed."

"Optimus," I said, "As the humans say, it is foolish to go alone."

"I cannot endanger your -either of your- lives."

"Come on Shadow, it's impossible to talk him out of it."

But I don't want Megatron to die.

"Optimus, if you don't want me to fight, then fine, but the least I can do is show you where to find him."

"No Shadow, the best thing for you –both of you- to do, is to go back to base, where you are out of harms way. Bulkhead, make sure Shadow goes back with you."

A ground bridge appeared.

"Come on Shadow, you heard what he said, let's get a move on."

Bulkhead and I walked through the portal and returned to base. The rest of our teammates didn't really notice us come in. Bulkhead dropped the large device in the center of base. We both walked over to the medical area. Everyone and I mean everyone was there. Raf was on a small, human sized-table: a gurney. Miko, Jack, and Ms. Darby were with him. Ratchet, and Arcee gave Ms. Darby room to work. Striker was on the outskirts, standing and leaning against a wall. Bulkhead joined Arcee, and I joined Ratchet.

Ms. Darby yelled, "Jack, help me get Raf to the car, he's going to the emergency room!"

Ratchet stopped her, "Nurse Darby, your doctors won't be able to comprehend what's afflicting him. Not without a decade of study."

"I don't have time to argue!"

"The effects of an energon blast on an Autobot can be devastating enough." He gestured to Striker, who rolled her ryes in response. He shifted back to Raf, "But, this is a human… I'm not getting any readings."

"On dark energon?" I asked.

"How could I not have seen this? Rafael has been infected with dark energon."

Everyone looked dramatically at Ratchet, everyone except for me. I guess Striker too, but she just seemed more peeved than anything else. The lack of attention I guessed. She take much interest in Ratchet's medical diagnosis.

No duh Ratchet. Wait a second… Did you actually believe Megatron shot a non- dark energon blast? You do know that he, you know what, I'll let it slide. Panicked bots forget things all the time.

"If dark energon is devouring Raf from the inside out, we must expel it and fast. The only possible way I know." Ratchet grabbed an empty container for energon. "I need energon!" He exclaimed.

"Wait", Ms. Darby stopped Ratchet, "You said energon was devastating to humans."

"Under normal circumstances quite. But I am relying on the dark matter currently invading Rafael's body to meet it head on."

Rafael's vitals spiked, then flat lined, then spiked again. Ratchet filled the container with energon. He pointed to the decontamination area.

"I need him over here, now!"

Jack and Ms. Darby ran Raf into the area as Ratchet reconfigured settings for that of a human. Jack and Ms. Darby exited the glassed cylinder. Ratchet hooked up the energon to the solution hold and pulled the lever. The room went dark to reroute power for Raf. The decontamination cylinder started to glow bright blue from the energon. The bright wave burst from the room, then dimmed until it was gone. The lights came back on and the door to the unit reopened. Nurse Darby, Miko, and Jack ran inside. Bee walked behind them. I could hear that Raf was starting to wake up.

"Pulse rate is stabilizing." Ms. Darby said as she checked Raf's pulse.

"Bee," Raf called out weakly.

"You're okay," Bee beeped with relief.

Ratchet exhaled with delight. Miko hugged Raf, and Ms. Darby hugged Jack.

"Optimus," Ratchet said, "We did it."

The group calmed, or at least I thought they did. They were all absorbed with all the stuff that just happened to Raf. I made the decision not to be. I walked over to Striker. She was still smugly leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. I don't think she was really looking at anybody. She was just kind of there, looking.

"Hey," I said to her in a kind tone, "How are you doing?"

"Two," she said, and then looked up at me, "Two. That's how much you owe me."

"Thanks," I said with a small forced smile. I felt bad. It took a lot for me not to look down at my peds.

"It's really not that bad," Striker said, "Doc just says I need rest is all."

"Good," I said. I was distracted. She saw that.

She slugged me on the shoulder. I fell backward in shock. The hand she hit me with fell down at her side. It was all purple and black. It looked like the energon was a plague.

"That's for taking me out of the field," she said, "and for cutting our day short, little miss not-falling-for-Optimus."

My face heated up, and I looked down at the ground around me. She extended her good arm towards me, and I took it. She gave me the tug that initiated me, pulling myself up. It only looked like she was helping me. If anyone asks, that's what happened. On a general rule of not owing anyone anything, I don't accept help. It's just not my way of doing things.

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't mention it."

Silence.

"Hey," I said, my sight glued to the ground, "Why did you do it, the thing I shouldn't be mentioning?"

"I respect you too much to leave you just lying on the ground for anyone to step over." She shrugged, "Sometimes the ground is a dumb mission, and sometimes the anyone is our leader."

I looked up at her.

"Don't mention it really," she said again. "As I said before, it may be a dumb Autobot thing, but I give you too much respect to sit back and watch you be put on Bee duty."

I muttered underneath my breath, "Thanks, really."

Striker swayed, and then caught herself before she hit the floor.

"Looks like I should go get treated for what was ailing Raf."

"Do you want any help?"

"No, I think I'll just go get some energon and then rest. I'll see you later, okay? Make sure to kick the Decepticon's afts for me. Prime might need backup."

"How—"

"Did I know? You came back without him latching onto your arm."

"He—"

"It's a joke. Just take care of him for me, okay? Our leader will never say it, but sometimes even he needs help." Striker placed her hand on my shoulder, "He always does."

….

The alarms sounded. Autobots had once again infiltrated the Nemesis. I wasn't bothered. I didn't even mind. Not really. I was… I was more worried than anything else. We –St3ve and I- had been talking more. I felt bad. Not about our talking. I felt bad about what wasn't being said. What I wasn't saying. So, we've been here, hours today, and I've just been mulling it over, what I want to say. The problem is how I want to say it… The beginning is always the hardest part.

St3ve typed on the monitor. He was unfazed by the situation. He was unfazed by a lot. He was multitasking on the terminal overlooking Ghost's cell. He typed away, completing one report about her earlier compliancy and successful training session in one window, and communicating with his friend C4rl who was stationed at the command center. St3ve finished his report and looked over to Ghost. She had been quit for a while. He wondered just how the training had affected her. He understood that using her ability wore her down, and occasionally put her in pain, but she hadn't doted on her discomfort in a while. He ended communications with C4rl. He looked over at Ghost in her cell, area. The gate was open, but something still seemed in his vision to blur. He walked out from behind the terminal and called out to her.

"Hey," St3ve said.

No reply. Ghost stared off blankly into the distance.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Vector..."

"Hmm?" St3ve replied, confused.

"You asked my for name once."

"Vector sigma? You're still mad at me for that?"

"No," Ghost said and then repeated the word again," Vector, she said. "It's my name. Vector like the Prime: one of the thirteen."

"Vector?" St3ve asked, "Isn't that a mech's name?"

"One of the thirteen, but not the first. There was an order."

There was silence.

Steve repeated the first line of what Ghost had said, "One of the thirteen?" St3ve paused to think it over. "Weren't there twelve Primes plus Megatronus: the fallen?"

"My creator wanted to name his first born after Megatron."

"So, thirteen."

"But, our Lord didn't want that. To be copied. To be idolized in a way controlling, hypocritical to past values. Values that had won him the will of the labor class on Cybertron."

"So, what did he do? Your creator -that is- what did your creator do?"

"My creator decided to name us after the others instead. All but Megatron. Those he betrayed."

"And that's why you kept it secret? Why you didn't tell me before? You thought Vector –your designation- had an air of betrayal?"

"No." Ghost went silent again.

St3ve feared he had said something wrong. From the way she looked, from the way the air hung silent still, he feared she would never speak to him again. But, St3ve didn't want to think that. It wasn't something he wanted to believe. Things got lonely when Ghost got silent. Things would return to how they once had been, when she decided not to speak. When this was just a job.

Ghost shut her optics and tilted her head back. She sighed. St3ve exhaled in relief. His friend was still with him. He just had to be more patient. St3ve walked into to Ghost's cell, and stood in front of her. He sat down and waited. She would talk again eventually. He could wait it out.

And then a miracle happened. She talked. Her voice was soft, like the smoothest of metal finishes, and her words struck him as honest, truthful.

"I was bullied by the other DJD's sparklings," Ghost had managed to say.

St3ve stared intently at the warrior-esque scout. For once in his life, despite all the pit he had to get through, he felt like he was talking to a mirror-individual. An actual consciousness, one that understood him, one that got him, one that had been through the same slag, and had still turned out all right. Better in fact. St3ve held his radio silent. Even with all the Autobot alerts, and warnings of danger, and commands of idiotic protection, even with all the scrap the Decepticons had thrown his way, he finally felt at home. He finally found someone who got him. Not just another vehicon. This one was weak. This one was a survivor. And that's what made them both strong.

St3ve spoke, "It's almost funny how cruel Decepticons can be to their own. They bully, they're strong, they're rewarded, and we have to get back up."

"But we shouldn't have to," Vector said. "There's something nonsensical about it." Her tone raised in intensity and her voice gained passion, "They should be comrades," she cried, "They should have been comrades."

"But, sometimes things just don't make sense. Or, in that cruel way, in that way they do. I was weak, or compared to me, they were strong. They saw their advantage and they took it. I avoided fighting. I was only ever good at losing at it."

"But," her tone was still filled with emotion, it was cracking, "It was just a name…"

St3ve felt anger for a moment. He was perturbed that his friend was so thrown off. Didn't she hear his story? Didn't she know his side of things? Didn't she know the kind of emotional and physical abuse he took? The kind of trauma that resulted from that? Sure, younglings could be cruel, but insulting someone for a name was leagues different that what he had gone through… wasn't it? Why was she so affected? Why? She didn't deserve to be. She didn't suffer more than he did… Did she? St3ve sighed and tried to think back to the conversation. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think that he had waited for so long, found someone, and then found out that the connection was just a fraud. He thought that they had actually had something. Another pitfall in his life, he assumed. Just another disappointment.

St3ve sighed again. Life could be so cruel sometimes. Cruel, cruel like those he suffered at the hands of, and still did. The Decepticons were cruel. Those younglings were cruel. Then, it dawned on him. St3ve had a realization. He sat upright, breathless for a moment. Who was the most cruel of all? Who had the most terrifying stories of torture? The DJD. And if younglings could be cruel, then their younglings should have been the cruelest. But not this one. She was like him. She was a victim, just like him. He felt it again. He felt the connection. He had found her. He felt like he had actually found her. He felt like he was in the presence of another cybertronian, one that existed, one that he could feel existing, just as he was.

Ghost was still silent. She had her optics open now, staring up at the ceiling. He saw the hurt in her optics. It was just a name. It was just a fragging name. Younglings could be so cruel.

"It was a mech's name," St3ve said.

Ghost replied, in the same calm, accepting tone that could be found in the voice of St3ve. She spoke, her eyes still on the ceiling, "I was the only femme given a mech's name." She told him, "My sister was Solus. I avoided them. All of them. I looked on."

"You became a Ghost."

Her head lifted, and her sight fell on St3ve. He had struck a chord. Almost as if the two were discussing something real, something like science or philosophy, something that had more importance than a simple designation.

"I gladly took the name," Ghost said. "It was mine." Her crimson optics glimmered. "Mine to make. Mine to take. Mine to have and hold… Mine."

"And your creator was fine with that?"

Another silence. Ghost in took a large breath, and then exhaled.

"After the genocide, he wasn't fine with much. But, with my name, he was happier to say it than nothing at all: dead. Gone." She moved her hands as if they had turned into a cloud of dust. "Poof," she said, "All gone."

St3ve shook. He- he didn't know what to say, or how to say it, or if he should even say anything at all. He had heard of the raid against the DJD. Everyone had heard of it. It was one of the bloodiest battles the war had seen. It was the bloodiest battle anyone had ever seen, yet, no one had seen it coming. Least of all younglings.

St3ve's voice trembled, "You... You were in that?" He asked, almost as if he was unsure if it was even possible.

But, Ghost just shrugged it off. "I survived that," she said. "I guess it's no longer a mystery how. For the longest time I thought it was a mistake. So many of them, my brothers, my fellow young fighters, gone. Dead or captured. Tortured for information. Killed or rescued broken shells, mere husks of what they once were. Killing machines that needed 'babying', to be watched, herded, controlled."

"But, not you?"

"I was alone. I was my creator's pride. I could do no wrong. His spark mate gone. His sparklings gone. The other DJD's lineage gone. No one else for Tarn to imprint on. He was stuck with me."

More silence.

"Not a bad punishment..." St3ve said. "If not for the worry you cause me, I wouldn't mind being stuck with you for eternity."

…

"Bulkhead, you let Optimus face Megatron alone?" Arcee nagged.

"I didn't have a choice. Besides, Shadow did the same."

"It could be a trap," Ratchet yelled, "we need to get a fix on his location!" Ratchet input different data sets and searched for a minute. "I'm locked onto Optimus's signal," he said. The monitor started to beep in an alarm type fashion. "Wait… How is this possible?"

"What?" Arcee asked. "What is it?"

"We need to get Optimus out of there, now!" The doctor screamed at us.