I hope I'm not loosin' you guys yet o~o

Of The Spark and Heart

Part 1

Chapter 17 (16 part 2)

Stratis was just trying to do what she could to answer the call of one of the only mechs she had enough respect for to allow her life in his hands: Optimus Prime. It was either him or maybe Hawktail, but even then, she was fiercely limited. Trust wasn't something a spy usually had, and that wasn't usually an uncommon thing. In fact, it was what was beaten into them from the first day until graduation. Or in her case, the war's arrival to their sector. She had just been a simple student then, not very talkative, but very smart and stealthy. She always stuck to herself and made the wise decision to have no friends in the war. It was a lonely road, but was there anything differently expected of her kind?

Strange enough, he had called from an unknown planet to her: Earth. And on that planet, he'd been stationed underground in a secret facility in the province of the United States of America.

Information was also one of the many things she was good at. In fact, after her training with her master, she had taken up a limited apprenticeship with Prowl. These tools had come into play immediately as she arrived on this planet. From the small gatherings she had come up with, she was actually surprised to find this planet so full of life and beautiful occupants. The mineral-rich substance that made the face of the planet was softer than that of Cybertron, but it was capable of vegetative life. The planet kept a steady orbiting path around a star, giving it a wondrous glow both at the beginning and end of each of its kalons.

The actual lifeforms themselves were interesting as well, deemed 'allies' in the words of Optimus himself. They were incredibly small, and Stratis had literally cocked an optic ridge at the laughable span of their life cycles. There couldn't possibly be any harm from these creatures, but some personal experiences were uploaded into these encrypted files; both enjoyable and frightening. So, encoded in that message was a warning, which confused her most of all. Such a small, primitive race, able of so much? Stratis had thus gained her new curiosity and was keen on learning more. Curiosity wasn't a trait seen as instrumental by masters, in fact being seen as a liability in students.

Stratis veered around another one of the mechanical vehicles known as 'cars' and she sped down the primitive coverings running across the soft ground. This planet couldn't be very old, for it was using materials deemed far unsuperior by Cybertronians long ago. It was intriguing, but she didn't hesitate to stay back and study the many oddities of the species. Optimus had explicitly said in the message she received that any Autobot was to retrieve an alternate form upon landing and then rendezvous with his unit. Once again, her perplexed feelings arose and an uneasy edge creeped into her spark.

As a good warrior should, Stratis followed the orders as was stated and didn't ask questions. She had chosen the form of a sleek black Ferrari Spyder, its frame nicely cutting against the winds opposing her. It suited her well, and it was fast enough for her tastes at the moment. This alternate form allowed her to reach her destination faster than she would have thought, her wheels slowing upon seeing the area designated by the Prime. It was a large, forested area with nothing more than a few strolling humans, trees, and a large mass of mineral matter known as a 'bolder' by human definition.

But before she could ponder her thoughts, her attention was suddenly taken by a very loud and incredibly high-pitched scream. Stratis aimed her headlights in direction of the nose and she flicked off the light, blending into the darkness as if it was her second protoform. Decacycles of training bled through her energon and snapped through her CPU. Limiting the power to her humming systems, she crept around the bolder to see what was on the other side. Careful to not be seen, Stratis entered her new secondary code and her transfusion shaft clicked before it then sunk back with a hiss. Her first transformation would be slightly uncomfortable for awhile, but she would get used to it. It happened to every new form a Cybertronian acquired.

Stratis used her sly frame to her advantage as she slipped into the darkness and took stand just on the other side of the bolder in a group of organic lifeforms she found called 'trees' in the human dictionary uploaded into her systems. These designations were new and strange, but it was a fun challenge to translate them from Cybertronian. Stratis stayed by the trees and peeked around, dimming the energy on her optics and switching to a higher resolution in the frames so she would see better. Her CPU computed everything around her and she slowed the intake of air through her vents. Even the air here was different.

Catching her optic, Stratis saw that there was a good-sized mech standing beside a rather large hole in the ground. The mech had his support to her, but his basic shape and stance told her immediately who he was. A shudder of anger ran through her spinal relay and faded into silent thought as she studied the situation. Just like an assassin was taught to do, she waited and watched. She was to study her opponent before engaging, and then carry out a perfected plan of action using every skill taught to her. The mech suddenly turned, causing the rotors in Stratis' arms to instinctively pull her back into cover. When the noises began again, she looked back around.

Yes, that was definitely Soundwave. But what was the Decepticon holding? And what was that strange language he used? Was it the native dialect here? Stratis strained to understand and translate, but she had not yet been given her translation chip, as all Cybertronians were given before traveling to another world. So, she was almost useless to the conversation. Wait, she stopped herself mid-process. Narrowing her optics so they would zoom in, she was shocked to find a small form in Soundwave's grip. The lifeform was a young human, of the female kind, if she was correct. And just by scanning the brief information given on the genders of humans, they were actually quite similar to that of a Cybertronian. Given, humans did not particularly contain the same capabilities as they did, but they still had their differences as mechs and fembots did.

It was even more of a shock when this brash, completely ignorant being paused and then produced a filmy substance from her oral region. It struck Soundwave in the faceplates, and he cried out. Was this human's lubricant deadly to Cybertronians? Stratis drew back the zoom on her optics and she dug her digits to grip the tree just as Soundwave became infuriated. It wasn't often one got the chance to see the mech angry. In fact, it was down right rare. Stratis had done it herself, but other than that, she hadn't seen anyone else do it.

Aside from that, she wondered as to why he even was taking this human. Was she important? Stratis' digits stabbed deeper into the hard base of the tree. If he wanted her, then she was definitely worth something to his cause. And that, was a very, very bad thing indeed.

The lessons burrowed deep in her CPU were brought forward and presented. There was a specific instruction she found concerning that of a target with a hostage. Delving deeper into the detailing, she sadly couldn't find any wording logged about a possibly fragile hostage. What if that human had been a sparkling? Then what? Stratis silently cursed her masters and focused on the scene at hand. Soundwave was a smaller mech, but he was methodical, and strong for his size. He also had those mini-cassettes that could easily pick her out and aid their recorder. So she would have to sneak up on him and disable him before he could react. Where was the main rotary function? Oh right, in the upper spinal support, right in-between the shoulderbolts and main struts.

But there was additional plating there. Smart. But not impossible to get through if you knew what you were doing. There was a splitting of the spinal panels along the spinal support, but smaller plates placed intricately against the supposed-to-be-exposed relay. His shoulder bolts were left open however; maybe she could slip her dagger in and up through the shocks and socket holder, piercing through to his inner circuitry systems. If she could puncture one of the sub lines, that would keep him distracted enough that the human could be swiped from him. Maybe she would finally be able to get rid of that fragger that killed her...no, she couldn't think of that. Memories lead to a break in concentration. Concentration was everything in strategy.

Stratis shook her cranial unit once and ducked low, finalizing her thoughts and organizing them into a neat order. Soundwave continued his small skirmish with the human female, oblivious to who was watching him. Stratis moved around the tree and kept crouched, striding to the side while always keeping her optics on her Decepticon prey. The human continued to yell and strain her sharp noises until even Stratis' audio receptors were tinged in pain. Was there a point to her irritating tone? Hopefully, she was just trying to keep the mech busy while help came for her. If any was except for Stratis. Maybe this female was smarter than Stratis had originally thought.

"Inform Mistress Arachnid that I have the target." Soundwave suddenly stated in cold, angry Cybertronian. This sent another chill over Stratis as she heard that name. So it had been true then. Megatron and most of his higher officers, including Starscream, had been offlined. So Arachnid had been the one appointed leader? That sick creation from the Pit was as deceptive and manipulative as they come, so it really was no surprise that she had wormed her way through the ranks. If anything, Stratis would have thought that Soundwave would be the next leader. But he was clearly made as a follower, not a leader.

Stratis followed the shadows, weaving her way through them and coming to a complete stop anytime the mech even flinched. It was a precious take of time, but it was basic protocol when stalking the enemy. Now was no different as Stratis side-stepped into the next group of darkness and waited patiently. As of now, she was right behind Soundwave, but he seemed anxious to move soon. Just by reading his external levels, she noticed an increase in his temperatures and cranial activity. He was thinking and analyzing, planning his escape. Getting caught up in the emotions of the human before him hadn't been a wise decision.

Slowly, Stratis began to take a step forward from her position backed against another tree, her toelink lightly touching out of her circle of shadow. Soundwave's cranial activity leapt and his form stiffened. Stratis immediately halted and weighed his actions. He was beginning to notice her presence. When he began focusing on the human again, Stratis let her optics retain some energy and they brightened slightly. Her focus was as sharp as a dagger. And thinking of which, she rolled her digitss to make sure of its hidden location in the upper instalment of her bracer. It moved just a micro centimeter, but the weapon needed flexibility to work properly.

Now, just to stick what she was about to do... This process started forming in her CPU, and it carried out on itself. A breeze of air blew past and slid over her form. Just another nanoclick or so...

Begin.

Stratis took one step and curled her shocks before she prepared the struts in her legs. Her kneebolts rolled back and she crouched, her vents taking in one last blast before she shut them off. The moment the whirring of her vents died off, she was flying through the air, diving to then curl into herself. Her frame rolled into a ball for at least twenty feet before she shot to a kneeling position. Her dagger clicked and the front of her bracer retracted, allowing the small knife to surface and slide into place. It snapped into position and shined once in the dimness. It's threatening face glinted and shone an eery grey. A lot of evil life cycles had been taken by this blade, and maybe this would be another.

As Stratis lunged forward, propelling the blade exactly where the two chinks in Soundwave's armoring would be, she was suddenly in the air. She didn't know when it happened, or how, but there was an intense pulsing in the side of her cranial unit and her frame was thrown across the surface of the ground. The instinctual programming inside of her kicked in and she twisted around to slide across on her chassis and abdominal slips, using her kneebolts and hands as support. Her hands flicked and she spun around, coming up on her peds to take a defensive posture.

It took a few sparkbeats before her optics came fully back online, and she was left staring into the dark, without her tools in that time. The glint from Soundwave's armor gave him away however as she noticed the silver streak striding across the ground. Her optic slips narrowed and she leapt to her peds, leaning forward to dart after him. Excited winds beat against her and buffeted her frame, slowing her down and causing a frustrated feeling to come over her. It was the infuriating gravity of the planet, she realized. Soundwave was also slowed as well, giving her at least one equality.

The human in his hand was roughly being handled, her form being seen to cower into his grasp, her facial structure twisted in pain and fear. Stratis felt a flash of anger start up in her at seeing the small being put through such an event. Such an action was meant more for inanimate objects than a sentient being. Stratis, renewed in a new vigor, lengthened her strides and she pushed forward with a burst of speed. Soundwave dodged around the trees and skillfully jumped or avoided each obstacle that Stratis found annoyingly in her way. He moved out of sight for only an astrosecond before appearing again directly diagonal to Stratis. She collected a few sharp discs from her other bracer and threw them, their sharp sides whipping through the air at a blurring speed.

Soundwave was able to dodge two of them, but the last one caught him in his lower tank cavity. A sharp cry of pain came from him, but he continued on. Stratis clenched her oral sheets tight and abruptly diverted her path, jumping to the side behind one of the trees, starting her pursuit again once she was behind Soundwave. It would be harder to disable him from here, but it was better than being in a dangerous position as she had been. Her dagger retracted and she produced a thin device from her hipbolt. It was only a simple throwing blade, custom-made to be thinner and yet made of hardened metals only found on Cybertron. It had been one of the most abundant source of material on Cybertron, yet she had not yet seen it once on this planet so far.

Stratis drew back her arm and took a chance, abruptly jerking to the side to clutch onto a tree. Her speed nearly snapped it in half, causing her to have to jump to the nearest neighbor before she fell. The cracking of each tree had her running not only for her target, but for her own stability. Soundwave was in view again, but Stratis would have to get a clearer aim if she was to do this right. Through each of the tangled arms of the trees she went, leaping and then landing, then leaping again before she could fall. The deep thudding of each tree as it gave way behind her was lost to her audio receptors as she focused ahead. Wind struck against her with shocking force, roaring through her audio receptors and blowing against her smaller frame.

A gust of strong air pulsed against her, as if it was desperately trying to keep her from succeeding what she desired. For a brief nanoclick, her steps slowed. Why continue this? What was this human to her? Yes it was unfortunate that a sentient creature as herself was being kidnaped, but what could Stratis do but land a few light blows? She was no mech, so she couldn't cause extensive damage. Optimus was more than capable of finding another way.

That was when a piercing, agony-filled sound ripped through the rough winds. Stratis jerked, her CPU jumping for a moment at the shocking sound. Was that the human? Stratis strained her audio receptors and tried catching any more indication of the pained female. The feeling behind that voice nearly drained all of the energon from Stratis' frame. It was so powerful and surprising to her spark that one of her steps faltered and the tree beneath her peds gave way before she could move fast enough. That human...she was in pain. And Soundwave was the cause of it.

Stratis tripped on the ground, stumbling forward before regaining her stride and returning to the edge of the path. They were approaching the end of the treeline, but a new-found strength had suddenly appeared in Stratis. Her limbs pumped and she dug her toelinks deep into the ground. The blade in her hand buzzed with a strange energy as she pinched it between her digits. How dare he hurt the human? She was an innocent as far as Stratis was concerned. And stranger or not to the small being, Stratis would do her best to help the ailing human- or she knew she would regret it later.

Visions and memory files slinked into her attention when she growled, showing the horrid scenes Stratis had witnessed by Soundwave's hand. He was a cruel, yet collected mech, who showed no emotion as he slowly picked apart and studied the inner workings of a mech or fembot. He was a close worker of the technical and analytical section of Megatron's followers, but he had shown his darker, more malicious side when trying to pry information from his victims. Among those victims, there was Shockbeat, Lock, Pulse, Dentwing, Cortex...not now.

Soundwave tried to get through the boundary of the trees, but Stratis was right there behind him. She never lost sight of the mech as he sprinted through the trees blocking his way. Stratis had her throwing blade drawn back and was mere sparkbeats from releasing it. With one last twist of her body, Stratis strung tight her arm and then let her blade fly. She snapped her arm back to its place beside her frame once again, continuing on without a step. Her blade was airborne for less than a few astroseconds before it finished its spin through the space around it and proceeded to plant itself deep into Soundwave's armor.

The mech roared and missed a step, stumbling. The speedy pursuer behind him used this opportunity to put on a short shock of a sprint. A few steps further, she bent her kneejoints and jumped. She was able to mount atop the mech and crouch over his helm, using it as a support. She then grabbed the handle of her blade, yanked it from Soundwave's shoulder socket and started for the human. Soundwave raised his free servo to try to grab her, only coming up with a stabbed servo as she plunged the blade deep into the crevices of his armor. In the same fluid motion, she yanked it free and was able to locate the small female, who was still trying to struggle from Soundwave's grasp.

Stratis used Soundwave's weight against him, and she grabbed his cranial unit, jumping up and over him. Her peds hit the ground, but Soundwave also was thrown over her, both his speed and weight used against him to launch him over on to his spinal support. Stratis jumped back from the collapsed figure and she waited, trying to find the human. As soon as Stratis had seen her, the fembot shot forward, snatched her from the Decepticon, and pivoted on her heelpeds, not wasting another astrosecond by the temporarily disabled mech.

The small human felt so fragile and small in Stratis' hand that she feared she may crush her. Her strange flesh-covered face was set in both shock and fright, her tiny servos gripping Stratis' own in terror. She was saying something in that same strange language, but Stratis ignored her and moved on, nimbly moving between the trees to confuse Soundwave if he was following. And by the dull thumping trailing behind her, he was recovered and in track.

Stratis held the human female close, trying to keep her quiet enough so that she could disappear through the shadows and blend in. But with the disturbed and obviously frightened human making a noise every so often, that was impossible. "Be quiet!" Stratis snapped, hoping her tone was enough. The human female stared at her in confusion, but she remained silent. Thank Primus, Stratis processed in relief.

It was soon that they broke through the stripping winds and treeline, once again ending up in the opened field. Stratis slowed and her CPU raced. Where to go. Where to go. Her optics caught the bolder, but then shifted. Soundwave could be heard just behind her, coming closer. Time was short, and so was Stratis' energy. So much had been used just to get here, and now that she was running the struts from her legs, she was so close to forced recharge that it wasn't even funny. Then the hole in the ground caught her optic and she glanced down at it. Soundwave had stood near it before; was that possibly where this human was kidnaped?

A loud ping echoed from Stratis' servo and a small pinch zipped through her. Looking down, Stratis saw the small human watching her, her servo laid in a small fist on the surface of Stratis' curled digits. Her arm moved and her digits shifted, turning to point straight ahead, her expression hard and determined. Stratis studied her for only a sparkbeat before nodding, lunging towards the hole without a word.

Now, Stratis wasn't one for taking risks. But trying to evade an angry and mission-obstinate mech did that to a fembot. She ran through the small stretch of land before jumping up and down through the hole, her ankle shocks and absorbers humming in preparation as she fell. All noise suddenly died, the silence consuming. There was a rushing of air as they fell, the humid temperatures suddenly turning chilly. The darkness was absolute and solid, taking up every inch of her vision.

When her peds struck ground, she dipped into a squat and then rolled, trying to ease the impact. The jolt ran through her frame and shook everything to its core, dislodging a wire and giving an uneasy feeling in her lower left leg. But the pain would have been much, much worse for any other Cybertronian who wasn't as trained as she was. Her instincts were right on cue, helping her to finally stop and end up standing once again. The area was all but crumbled walls of a stone-like grey substance and bright yellow strands set in criss-crossed patterns.

There was a limited availability of light, excusing the flashing red pulses that came every few astroseconds. It was an annoying bother, with a booming, high-pitched siren that wailed along with it. Stratis ignored the noise and flashing red lights to look down at the human. She seemed less frightened, and her oddly blue optics were foggy. They weren't like that before. Concern grew through Stratis' spark and she looked up, trying to find a pathway. A hall was found and she held the human firmly as she hurried through it. Many more humans suddenly appeared, strange fibers attached to their frames. They carried dark, unique weapons in their hands, each held close to their chassis.

When Stratis was seen, they immediately drew their queer guns and stood. Stratis jerked and scanned the crowd, confused. One human came forward and shouted something at her. The baggy slips around her lower faceplates and down her neck pulled back to reveal her lip plates, slightly parted. "I do not understand." she commented calmly. If they didn't understand her, then so be it. She just needed to make sure the small human in her servo was safe. Thinking of the best solution, Stratis lowered herself and held out the female for them to see. When they noticed her, the reaction was completely different than that of happiness or relief. It was anger.

Shouting started up from the lone male human again and Stratis drew back, confused. Couldn't they see the human was safe- that Stratis was not going to harm her? Stratis knitted her optic ridges and strained to keep up with the unfamiliar words of the human. The terms in her CPU only deciphered visions, not words. It could tell her what was before her, but not what was being said.

Finally, her patience waned and Stratis brought the human in her servo closer to her. Someone else had to be here to help her. Someone she could understand. Careful not to step on the small human males, Stratis started on again, darting down the many halls. Her skills came in handy when many other humans ran by her peds, and she had to dodge around them. Many appeared shocked at her when she passed. She hadn't stepped on any humans yet, but by the tones shot at her, she was sure they were not happy. She ran on down the many pathways, trying her best to find anyone even remotely familiar to her.

They finally reached a large, vastly open space that stretched up higher than most mechs. Stratis looked up and then back down, focusing on her objective. The room was full of the flashing red light and alarm, bringing only a disorienting feeling to the CPU. Humans rushed by, no longer interested in her. So many noises and sudden movements caught Stratis' overactive senses, and she found herself constantly darting her optics in different locations. "I require assistance." she called, hoping someone would understand. Her frame turned around, searching the ground for some human who seemed to know her words. No one paused to even look at her. Humans on hanging structures shouted at the ones below them, seeming to be giving orders like it depended on their lives.

One male, dark in flesh color, looked up from his position by the edge of the structure. He had greying hair filaments growing from his cranial unit with those same strange stitched threads over his body. He said something, but Stratis only stared back. He seemed to ask a question, to which Stratis couldn't answer. She couldn't even come close to understanding what was being said to her as the human became increasingly irritated. Did all humans have tempers? Stratis narrowed her optic slips and leaned in, studying him. As he reared back from her closeness, she wondered if maybe she could trust this male with her small human cargo.

There was more shouts, louder and more filling than that of the smaller human voices, and Stratis snapped her cranial unit around. There, standing tall over the humans and seeming to be flustered in an attempt to get through, was Ratchet himself. Behind him was Sideswipe, who was also saying something. Stratis jumped forward, relieved to the point of pure joy. Ratchet grumbled something before carefully stepping over the group by his peds. Sideswipe followed behind him, looking by his peds before moving his optics up.

Stratis was upon them in a sparkbeat, using her free servo to grab Ratchet's. At the touch, the mech jerked and tried pulling away, his optics wide. Sideswipe took in a sharp intake of air into his vents. Ratchet yelled in surprise and shot his optics in Stratis' direction, seeing the source of his near sparkattack.

"Primus, Stratis! What are you doing here?" Sideswipe exclaimed, watching the fembot in shock. Stratis lifted Ratchet's servo, ignoring Sideswipe's comment. "Take her. I have other duties." she stated simply, lifting the human and gently pressing her into Ratchet's palm.

Ratchet also sucked in a sharp flush of air as he saw the small female now lying limp in his digits. He said something, one word, maybe a designation. He then hovered over her, carefully bringing her close and turning away down the other halls. Stratis caught Sideswipe's optic, but at the fembot's expression, he moved away. She nodded once and then sprinted back down the way she came.

It didn't take long to find what she'd started. Soundwave had followed her, and he had reentered the hole to engage. Stratis found a large group of the humans trying to fend him off with their small guns and some larger weaponry. Soundwave was simply blocking each blow with an enormous slab of the rocky substance from the rubble around him. Ravage, one of Soundwave's cassette pets, was exchanging his own attacks from beside his master, snarling and growling. Laserbeak was flying around the space while effortlessly avoiding any attack. Stratis' metallic slips came back over her lower faceplates and down her neck.

In less than a breem, she had pinned Laserbeak to the ceiling- breaking his wing, had caused Ravage to retreat back to Soundwave, and had taken out both Ratbat and Buzzsaw. Soundwave was making his escape through the hole now, taking his ailing pets with him. Stratis stood with her dagger out, watching after the mech, but not pursuing. When he'd gone, she retracted the blade and let her slips pull back.

"Very impressive Stratis." came an unexpected and yet familiar voice.

Stratis reeled around and had her dagger out at the Cybertronian's jugular cable in less time than it took to shutter the optic. The surprised 'enemy' stopped cold and raised placating servos. "Woah there, take it easy." he said softly. Stratis sharply pulled herself back and removed the blade. "Wheeljack." she greeted bluntly. The mech lowered his servos and Stratis regained her composure. "Hey Stratis, how ya feeling?" he asked humorously. Stratis looked up at him incredulously. Really?

Humans below them moved away, not interested in the Cybertronians' conversation. "That is the most unintelligent question I have been asked in the last quartex." she retorted snappishly. Instead of being offended and walking away as Stratis had hoped, his optics beamed and the fins on his head glowed.

Before she could react, Stratis was taken up in Wheeljack's arms and pressed tightly against him. "You haven't changed a bit!" he laughed and squeezed her tighter. Stratis gasped for air and her digits curled with the pressure. "What are you doing here?" he went on, finally releasing her. Stratis took a step back, trying to get her vents back to a steady rate of intake. Her internal circulation systems rushed to fill what abuse it had taken and she took a moment to let them return to normal. Wheeljack just waited, that smile on his faceplates and the joy radiating from him at seeing her.

Stratis felt her systems return to normal and she lifted her servos, recalibrating her bracer while also repairing the small damages made to the shifter controlling her dagger. "Prior to my coming here, I was looking for someone. Outside of this planet's gravity welt." her optics flicked up to see the mech with his servos on his hipbolts. The smile on his faceplates didn't dim, and that was confusing. Did he really look forward to her arrival that much? "You received Prime's message?" he guessed. Stratis paused her movements for a few nanoclicks before she looked back down and continued her work. "Yes."

Wheeljack could be seen to move and Stratis' optics followed him suspiciously. If he came at her again, she would be ready. It wasn't rare to be caught in one of his playful antics, so it was normal for her to always be on her guard around him. And he was always on his guard around her as well, for if he irritated her to a certain point... No one actually had to ask when he somehow acquired new dents or breaks. Stratis had a knack for being able to dislodge the wire concerning movement in both of his arms. After a few times it had become her infamous signature when Wheeljack would bother her.

"Then you got a secondary alt form?" he went on, coming beside her to hover over her shoulderbolt. Stratis entered the last of her adjustments and she lowered her arm, turning. Wheeljack jerked from her sudden movement. "A Ferrari Spyder. Black." she stated simply. Wheeljack took a step back and looked her up and down, studying her new casing and the new figure she had gained. Stratis moved on her peds and placed a servo on her hipbolt. This once-over by Wheeljack lasted for a mere few nanoclicks before he raised his digits and pinched his mandible point. "I like it. A little too curvy for my taste, but that's just my opinion." he let his servo fall and he chuckled when Stratis' optic slips narrowed.

She liked this form, and nothing he said would change her thoughts about it. She had a sneaking feeling that he was saying this because of his supposed 'brotherly love' for her. "You say that because you see yourself as my brother. I for one like this form." her attempts at a serious conversation were broken as soon as Wheeljack began laughing again. The sound filled the space around them with chortling peels of humor. Stratis sighed through her vents and crossed her arms. What could be seen as funny to him was completely sober to her. When his joy died down, she could feel his sudden change in mood.

The feeling that leaked off of him made Stratis' spark twist in an uncomfortable way. She had become accustomed to the darkness that often surrounded her when it came to the things that happened in her life cycle, but Wheeljack's happy reunion with her had been a welcomed change. "Soundwave kidnaped that small human you saved, didn't he?" it was such a clean-cut, right to the point type of question, but it was full of so many other things beside that abruptness that surprised Stratis. "Yes." she answered. Wheeljack visibly twitched and he locked optics with her. This time, Stratis herself moved her gaze away. He knew what she had gone through. He knew the pain she had suffered and the memories she held. He knew...

"Who was that human? Why had Soundwave taken her?" she asked, attempting to reestablish the optic contact. Wheeljack wasn't looking at her anymore, but down at the floor. His silence drew on and Stratis feared he may not have heard her question. Her spark beat loudly in her chassis, full of confusion and uncertainty. He obviously felt some form of sadness in knowing the female had been abducted, but why? Did he have some form of connection with her? Or was he feeling ashamed he could not stop Soundwave?

Either way, Stratis did not find she liked this new unhappy side of Wheeljack. She slowly uncrossed her arms and took a step forward, trying to see his faceplates. "Wheeljack?" she called softly. His cranial unit snapped up and he paused for a few nanoclicks. Stratis' question had still gone unanswered and she figured he might be better off not responding at all. What happened to the lighthearted side of her brother?

"It would be best if Ratchet or Optimus explained that to you. Right now, I need to get you a translator chip." he finally said, lifting a hand to lay on her shoulderbolt. She joined him close to his side as he began walking ahead, wrapping an arm around her. Worry coursed through her system as they traveled through the halls in quiet. Wheeljack was not speaking a single word and every time she looked up at him, his faceplates would be aimed at the floor.

She wished she could move faster. Maybe that was why Wheeljack was so quiet; he was hurt and not telling her. That would be like him. But had he even been in the battle? They moved through the paths before them, Wheeljack leading the way since Stratis was as confused as a youngling in the Iacon record database.

When they approached a new hall, Wheeljack stopped them and turned to it, entering a few keys in an access panel to his right and allowing them through the door. He went in first, accompanied by Stratis soon after. Lights flickered on and buzzed quietly, making it easier on the optics to see around. It was a simple medical room, fit for both long-term and short-term occupants. She stepped inside and found the medical berth setttled in the middle of the smaller space. Toolcarts were left sitting by the walls or by the berth, holding small instruments. Wheeljack went off to the side to sift through a few drawers of parts and he left Stratis to herself until he could find it.

Stratis took this opportunity to walk calmly over to the berth and sit, finding nothing better to do than wait for her brother to find what he was looking for. Her legs cross at the anklestruts and her spinal support locked straight. While listening to the noise of the materials Wheeljack was looking around, Stratis found herself taking a final look around her surroundings. Nothing much more was seen except for an odd device stashed away at the corner of the room, but that didn't concern her by much.

Wheeljack didn't take long to find what he was after and he stood, holding a small chip in his hand. "Alright, here we go. This should allow you to understand human English, but until we can get you a universal language inverter for this planet, you will only be able to speak English." he explained, coming closer. Stratis didn't respond, finding it enough to just nod and watch as Wheeljack came closer. "Have you ever had a language chip before?" he asked, seeming to try to distract her. Stratis quickly found that if he was trying to avert her attention, then something unpleasant was about to happen. She shook her helm as a reply.

The technician didn't seem surprised at this and he walked around the berth to stand behind her. "Revel never had you visit other planets? I figured that was apart of your training." he commented, tilting her cranial unit forward. Stratis locked her servos before her and pressed her thumb digits together. "No. My master felt that Cybertron was enough for a cyberling at that time." she said. Wheeljack's digits appeared on the back of her neck and Stratis' instincts leapt up, nearly causing her to spin around and take the mech out. She held herself back and let him open the import panel at the base of her cranial unit. "I see." he said, pausing. "Well before I do this, I want you to know it will probably overwhelm you for a nanoclick."

The warning was predicted and Stratis felt no need to nod or say a word. "When you notice the permission sequence in your CPU, I want you to allow it. It will take about a breem to upload everything to your systems, but afterwards you should be able to speak perfect English. Don't be frightened by the sudden amount of information." he advised. Stratis took a deep intake of air and let it circulate through her frame before she made a move. She simply nodded and Wheeljack proceeded to insert the chip.

For the first astrosecond, nothing happened. Then, her optics went dark and her frame froze in place, her arms pinned beside her and her faceplates snapped forward. Nothing happening around her could be seen as her optics suddenly flashed and she became assaulted by a bright white light. Anxious, she tried moving out of her locked state, only to find she couldn't. The panicked feeling inside of her grew as the light began to dim yet still she was unable to see Wheeljack or the room.

Visions and images of unfamiliar symbols scrolled over the front of her CPU, taking up every point of her sight. Her limbs twitched when she tried to move again, but any complete shift was prohibited. The symbols and lettering flashed over and over, scrolling and changing before disappearing and then being replaced. Stratis tried shuttering her optics, but they wouldn't cooperate. Those same lettering continued on and on until her CPU was forced to create an entire new file. This file was designated with the language and was quickly filled. All communication systems in her body were accessed and changed to work along the new language.

And then, it all froze. Just like that. Stratis could feel her systems overheating from the misuse of her vents, but she suddenly had forgotten how to intake. More than just the frozen state of her frame could be felt as a massive and constricting form held her down. She wanted to thrash and fight, but her appendages wouldn't allow her to flinch even a link. Her fright reached new heights when all of herself seemed paralyzed. Where was Wheeljack? Why couldn't she see him? Was the chip malfunctioned? She attempted to reject the chip, but there was no place to enter the command and she searched her CPU.

When nothing came up, she simply pulled back and took a sparkbeat to try calming down. Controlling panic was taught to her early on. Never break focus. Never break concentration. She could feel her frame shuddering and shaking, her gears seizing before jerking in an uncontrollable spasm. The surface beneath her had changed and the air was so hot that it hurt. Her wiring tangled and she felt the sting of the blocked currants. So, she forced herself to pulled back into a more comfortable point and she waited.

Finally, her frame cooled a fraction and her uneven jerks dimmed. Parts stiffened into a more solid state and functions began to slowly restart. Her spark was beating with such strong pulses that she felt it may break from her chassis. There was a small persisting presence at the edge of her consciousness. It reached to her and tried attaching to her spark, but like the previous time this had happened, she pushed it away. It was a strange sense to her, this new essence. She didn't know how to handle the new feeling, nor if she wanted to let it in. It had no name and it was nothing more than a stranger to her. A stranger that felt all too personally connected. The symbols paused for a nanoclick longer before they twitched, then continued on with their motions.

As Stratis watched them, she felt a sort of awe in studying their quick flashes. The heat in her frame had been almost unbearable. But she was unable to start up her circulation cycle, so she had been left to sit in the rising temperature. Now, it was just an uncomfortable warmth. The form holding her down hadn't moved, yet she didn't mind. Whatever was holding he was making it easier for her to focus less on her frame and more on her CPU. Her file filled and just before it broke limit, the symbols stopped. Then, one by one, they each blinked off.

Right after the file had filled, it attempted to save itself into her main database core. Before it could do that however, it needed permission. That message popped up an astrosecond later, asking for the passcode needed in order to access her data core. Recalling Wheeljack's words, she entered in her code and allowed the file to save. A buzzing sensation started deep in her chassis, right beside her spark. It lasted for a few beats of her spark before fading into nothing. The file was saved and the changes to her vocal processor were made. She felt the clicking in the back of her throat as they relocated to their new positions.

The slacking of her frame began in her peds, traveling up her body until her helm fell back to hang. Where was she? Her CPU moved away the fog of stress she had gained in her experience and a new clarity showed itself. The blackness restricting her view lightened to a deep grey, then ashy, and finally a bursting white. This flash of new light pained her optics before it dimmed and began to sort itself out. Colors began to form and shapes took place. The light shifted to comprehendible images and a fuzzy sheen seemed to blanket everything before her. It was a confusing scene, one she was unsure about. Was she upside down?

Her optics shuttered and the blurriness began to clear as her optics flushed out the film over her view. "Stratis?"

It was a soft voice. Full of concern and hope. Stratis took in a few more intakes of air through her vents to cool the last of the searing heat in her frame. Her vision was at a weird angle, and she soon found that it was indeed upside down. Her body was being held up in an elevated position, allowing her cranial unit to hang. With a soreness in her helm that was throbbing mainly from the chip, she strained her neck to raise her faceplates.

After shuttering her optics a few more times, she held her cranial unit up and stared into the fuzzy shape before her. "Are you alright?" the voice asked. That same force that she had sensed earlier came back and attempted to connect with her. Did it want a bond? If she did that, she was allowing herself to become attached to a strange being. If she knew them, she would know. Right? It was a strong feeling, basically pleading to connect to her. It was a step down from a sibling bond and an even further link than that of a sparkbond. However, she would still be able to share both thoughts and feelings with this being. Could she trust them?

Before she could even make up her processor, she found her vision to be clear again and a large form hovering over her. Wheeljack was there, his arms wrapped around her to keep her from falling. His faceplates sit coated in worry, his optics watching her carefully.

"Wheeljack?" she said with an aching vocal processor. Wheeljack sagged in relief and she dipped towards the floor. "Jeez fembot, you nearly gave me a sparkattack." he scolded softly. Stratis shuttered her optics again and narrowed them, studying his faceplates in confusion. "You sound different."

It was uncomfortable to speak, but she ignored the scratchiness of her tone and focused on her situation. Wheeljack looked back to her and helped her to sit up on her own. "That is because we are no longer speaking Cybertronian. This is English." he explained, holding a servo to her spinal support. Stratis lifted a hand and gently touched the vocalizer at her jugular cable. Beside the soreness, this language felt fairly nice to the vocal processor. "I like it." she said, locking optics with the mech. His faceplates moved to a smiling stretch and he removed his digits. "You scared me for a nanoclick. I knew you'd be affected since it was your first chip, but still..." he trailed off and stood.

Stratis allowed him to help her to her peds, which were a little weak and unsteady. Stratis slipped atop the berth and allowed Wheeljack to check the chip. "It's a little overheated, but it's uploaded. You should be able to understand the humans here as well as the rest of us just fine." he let her return her cranial unit to its normal position and he came around the berth to stand before her. "But you should get some rest. Ratchet will blow a circuit if he finds out what happened here and I didn't come get him. But I think you're fine." he gave a sneaky nod and Stratis sat straighter, watching him with a smirk on her faceplates.

Sometimes, her brother really was worth the irritation he brought.

Ooh new character! :D

p.s- If you want a reference for what she looks like, then look up Nightbird.

Maybe she's a tribute.

Maybe not.

Meh.