It's happened...

I've caught up with myself o~o

Chapters are going to come a little slower from now on sadly...

But I hope you guys enjoy anyway!

Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 27

The bustling system of colleagues flustered around the room as many held their heads down upon formal-looking documents of varying lengths and thicknesses. They hurried through the large room and down the aisles between the rows of fellow workers as they rushed to their next stops or to get from one place to another. Down the lengthy floor of the room were pairs of two or more men or women set before the monitors of different computer screens. Headsets sit clamped over each person's ears, their eyes trained on their work and their fingers flashing quickly over keyboards.

Other figures appeared situated by tables assessing the any papers on the tables or speaking with one another on various military topics. Another raised platform had steps surrounding it while other sets of screens involving surveillance or radar imagery hung against the bowed wall. It stood shaped as a smooth curve around the inside of the railed-in rise before splitting off into other separate halls and rooms. One man appeared positioned before the screens, a fist behind his back while the other laid against his chin. He had thin glasses on his nose with short black hair that faded to grey by his sideburns. His deep brown eyes darted over each surface of the images to study the varying things there. He was dressed in a sharp military uniform with a simple red tie around his neck and a bright white shirt peeping from behind the blazer.

"Sir." the call came from across the room by a man standing up from his station at the far back of the rows. His headset was displaced around his neck and he held a far too serious expression to his features. The man behind the rail dropped his hand and he turned towards the voice. When he saw the look on the man's face, he started for the stairs. "What is it?" he asked, dodging around the bodies passing by. The name tag on his shirt flipped and he reached up to straighten it, flashing the name Brandt in small black letters.

Brandt finally made his way to the desk and he leaned over it, staring into the computer intently. The man who had called him over sat back down and pulled up a few new data sheets. "You might want to look at this." he said, entering the necessary passwords to log into the secured network. Brandt set his knuckles on the desk and he watched the man work, blinking when the screen changed and new radars and statistics flashed before them. A few of it was familiar to him, but there were some things that were strange, even to a seasoned analyst as he was.

"Are they attacking the main grid again?" he inquired, pushing up his glasses and squinting at what he saw. The seated man beside him shook his head and singled on one specific window. "No, no. Look at this." he maximized the information and he gestured with the mouse. It was a basic layout map of the designated areas of the different drones and devices of that area. What was so different about it than usual? "The thermal is temperate as normal, what is the issue?" Brandt looked to the man beside him, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

The man -now seen as Giles by the tag on his chest pocket- was visibly becoming more anxious. He kept switching his attention from his displayed data to the keyboard and back, which he did over and over before he jabbed a finger at the glass. A small plink came from the motion and Brandt followed Giles' lead. "Not that, this." it was a completely different spot from where Brandt had studied before, causing a new flurry of questions to come up in his mind as he fully realized what they were truly discussing.

"It that the drones' peripheral survey?" he inquired, coming closer. Giles removed his finger and he zoomed into the area, isolating it. "Yes, but there's something more. Look here when I include any wave radiations." he entered in the desired tools and the map changed into the arrayed colors of both radioactive and electronic wave signatures. As soon as he did this however, there was a significant change in the map that had Brandt backing away to stand taller, a bewildered tone to his expression. "What is that?" he placed a hand on the back of Giles' chair and the analyst turned his face up. "It's a multi-level wave of electronic opposition. It's left behind as a sort of invisible 'track' every time the enemy makes an appearance." he swiveled back around and used the mouse to highlight some areas of the map, "They've shown up here, here, and here."

Brandt let his hand slip off Giles' chair and he cleared his throat. There was a tight knot in his stomach that had the baloney sandwich he'd eaten earlier in a spin. Nerves perked in his body and his finger twitched as it always did when he was overly stressed. "And these are the interception drones?" he inquired, not looking at the analyst as he took it upon himself to go over the information at hand. He'd been in this field for years upon years- far longer than he'd ever thought he would have been since the hours with this job sucked. He really only stayed because it paid good- but he'd never experience something quite like this.

"Yes sir. It seems like over the past few hours they've created a fixed crosshatching pattern over the globe concerning different- yet specific locations." Giles confirmed, panning out the view again to show a wider range. A few other spots showed up as well, and they continued to multiply as he reached the picture of the other continents. "It is still unknown if these positions serve a particular significance to the enemy." Giles turned to Brandt with worry on his face. Brandt held his lips in a firm line, the folds across his forehead wrinkling further with his concentration. There couldn't be anything good that came from this.

"Track it and decode it." he decided finally. The noises around them continued on as they spoke to one another, but with everyone's busy state, no one would know of the situation currently at hand. Using this to his advantage would be best if they wished to find a possible solution as quickly and easily as possible. If the higher-ups saw fit for further analyzation by his men, then and only then would he show it to them. For now, it was too dangerous. "Use the previous logged data to compare and make a solid accusation. Afterwards, I want you to get a proper diagnostic to send to Director Ferk. As soon as you get those statistics I want you store it and wipe the monitor before anything leaks."

Giles gave a brisk nod. "Yes sir."

Brandt then stood and walked up to the platform stairs before he swiftly climbed them and strode by one of the groups at the tables. "Walker." he called, gaining the attention of a shorter, tan-skinned man with a cropped beard and slicked back hair. Walker saw Brandt continue past, so he ran to catch up with him just as Brandt was about to disappear into one of the adjacent halls. "Yes, Brandt sir?"

"Get a connection line with Secretary Kepler, General Hendricks, and-"

"President Wake?"

"Who else?"

"Right away sir."

The silence in the cabin was long and still, despite the occasional bump from the roads or the sway of the body as the car turned a corner. Soft music was playing from the radio and it drifted over the insides of the car like a gentle breeze. The light outside was all that illuminated the cabin and the face of the human that sat in the leather seat, shining through her bright blue eyes and adding a dull glow to her pale skin. Her arms sit tucked beneath her neck and head as she leaned against the door, her legs folded beside her bottom.

For a while now, she had quietly rode along with her 'Guardian' as they traveled from the base over six hours ago. The usual conversation that would fill their rides was cut to nothing as the yellow Autobot seemed unwilling to say more than a few words every so often. But Fera was thankful for the silence and the lack of need for being social because frankly, she felt awful. Before she'd even left that building, she'd felt horrible.

What was behind her was nothing like she'd wanted it to be- especially things involving a certain mech. When he had exited that room and allowed her to stay there and cry, she thought everything was over. Once again, she had stood by as another chance at happiness had broken before her very eyes. She could have prevented it and she could have mended things by placing aside her selfish pride and going to him herself. But had she? And beside that, just the way he had looked at her at the Autobots' rehearsal of the transport...

Hours before, Bumblebee had replayed a recording he'd taken of Solas' voice, which of course, Fera listened to. What the Guardian had said was far from what she'd expected him to say, yet for some reason, she couldn't help but feel a certain warmth from it. She knew this was basically a form of apology from him, only because he was too stubborn to explicitly say he was sorry. And what would he be apologizing for anyway? Fera should have been the one to say something, and she had. Not long after she had heard the message, she'd given Bee one of her own and had promptly curled into the position she was in now.

For quite some time, she'd realized the stiffness in her arms and legs and the welling numbness in the limbs. But she didn't dare move or shift an inch. Mostly, it was because she felt the fragile calm around her would break if she even breathed wrong. At one time, Ratchet had even come on the radio and had asked her if she was feeling alright, which she replied to with silence. Even when the sudden pull in her heart and the painful block she put up, she had no reaction. It was as if she'd been deprived of showing any emotion. In fact, the holographic driver before Bumblebee's wheel showed more than she did.

"Fera, we really need to talk." it was the Autobot medic yet again, his tone firm and assertive. Fera's mouth fell into a deep frown and she glance out the windshield to the yellowish-green Hummer driving to their diagonal right. So he and Bumblebee had held yet another secret conversation without her. How lovely. But again, she said nothing and she decided to ignore the CMO. The quiet stretched to an awkward length and Fera sighed, knowing full well what was going on. Sitting up, she rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms and legs.

"I know you two are talking, you don't need to try hiding it." she said with an edge of irritation. Bee's speed faltered for a split second before he picked up pace again, his holo-driver flickering with the sudden change. Fera laid her elbow against the door and she set her chin in her hand, her eyes set outside the window. She wasn't really seeing the trees outside or the small metal bars with the vivid yellow reflector tape as they blurred by. Truly, she hoped to see a specific black and red Boss Mustang driving beside the Camaro with some random soldier sitting in the driver-side seat. Had she really grown so used to his irritating pokes at her? Was his teasing something she now saw as a normal, daily occurence? It was almost uncomfortable to not hear him picking fun at her in some way. Somehow, it just felt...off.

The gathered Autobots simultaneously turned to cross into the next exit and Fera blinked as she saw Optimus and Rethalia Prime leading the party not too far ahead. About four armored vehicles settled around the boundary of the 'Bots, each filled with human men or women transferring to Washington D.C- including Epps and Marks. There really wasn't that many accompanying the assembled group, but was there seriously any need with so much firepower already?

"Fera Lennox, please, we're worried for you. Answer me." Ratchet's tone was concerned and less authoritative as it had been before. Fera glanced back at the Hummer, her look skeptical. When something caught her eye, Fera knitted her eyebrows and she leaned forward to get a better look. There, right in the small side mirror of the Autobot's frame, was the view of Ratchet's holo-driver. It was probably a middle-aged man, with deep black hair that had faded grey stripes running along the lengh. The small, cropped mustache around his jawline worked nicely with the handsome features of the holograph. She could see his face turned towards the mirror, his eyes set back on her.

Fera swallowed and sunk further into the seat. The way he looked at her like that made her uncomfortable... "I'm fine. You better not be spreading things around." she narrowed her eyes and glared at the 'Bot. The holo-driver was no longer looking at her, but there was a smirk that could be seen on its realistic face. "Of course not. I have nothing to tell them but your constant ignoring me." he stated, his voice almost teasing. Fera crossed her arms and stared out the window. She wasn't aggravated with the medic so much as frustrated. Of course she wasn't ok. Why would she be? A large part of it all was from her Guardian and her leaving on not-so-good terms and her having a mysterious thing in her chest and mind.

Nonetheless, she knew what Ratchet wanted. It was always the same thing. Usually, Fera would dread another visit from a doctor, and now he seemed more there to examine her than to simply accept her condition. Taking in a breath, she decided to get things over and done with. "My side is fine, my hand is fine, my ankle is fine, my head is in-tact, I don't feel suicidal, I'm not going to have a seizure, and my heart isn't going to explode in my chest." she drew in a sharp breath and locked her fingers on her lap.

The holo-driver didn't glance at her but his eyebrows did come up. Bumblebee made a broken, chortling sound over his engine that could have been thought of as laughter while Ratchet himself chuckled over the radio. The CMO seemed in an oddly good mood as of late.

"Your physical condition isn't really what I wished to ask of you. However, I am relieved to hear you are feeling alright." he noted, causing Fera to study the ambulance before her. What happened to his temper? He was hiding something. If not that, then this was a very, very weird day. "Am I dying?" she asked suddenly, holding her eyelids in a pair of suspicious slits.

Abruptly, Ratchet swerved and crossed into the next lane, his horn blaring. Bumblebee stuttered and fell back, causing the cars behind him to sharply turn and wave from side to side as they fought to stay straight. Hound's vehicle mode also dodged aside as Ratchet quickly averted his path. Mirage, who was just beside Bumblebee, roared his engines and screamed ahead to allow Bumblebee to settle.

The chaos didn't last as long as it would have with human drivers considering these vehicles were living beings, so when the group of 'Bots finally came to a mostly calmer atmosphere, Ratchet's voice picked up over the waves again. "What in Primus inspired that question Fera?!" he exclaimed, the boxy Hummer finally coming back to his correct position in the formation. Fera had her eyes wide and her arms flung to her sides. Her hands were like clawed vices, her fingers clinging onto the surrounding area around her as she fought to stay upright. Bumblebee made a noise that dropped off as Fera's eyes met his holo-driver's.

"For God's sake Ratchet, you didn't have to do that!" she shot back, watching the red Ferrari beside them fall back into place next to Bee. The yellowish-green 'Bot flashed his lights once and his holo-driver gained a much more Ratchet-like frown. "I apologize for reacting to a fairly surprising statement Fera, but it was a little unexpected!" he retorted. All too quickly, it seemed his irritability had returned. Fera let her body relax and she rubbed her hands against her legs. She then patted the dash and looked to the 'driver' beside her. "You ok Bee?" she asked softly. The young 'Bot gave a click and seemed to fully get over his initial shock.

"You're too on edge Ratchet." she commented, relaxing again with her head on the rest behind her. "I was just joking with you. Don't take what I say so seriously, it'll give you a freaking heart attack." Ratchet's 'driver' turned his eyes on her and she stared right back into those fake, brown eyes. If what she'd learned over the past three months was enough, she knew that getting an attitude with the 'Bots only cause more harm than good. For now, she would try keeping her irritation to a minimum. "I fear you do that already Fera." he sighed.

"Bumblebee, Fera, is there something wrong?" it was the deep sound of Optimus' voice, even the small volume he used filling the space with its rich texture. Those around them seemed to be getting back into the rhythm of things, but there was still a confused edge that Fera knew would be there. She grabbed her ankles and rolled her eyes, already tired of where this was headed. Originally, she would have been fine with just riding in Bee's cabin with the window down and letting the wind blast against her face. Just the feel of being outside had her excited out of her mind, but there was the still lingering sadness that came with her abrupt and broken departure from Solas. And then there was Hope...

Maybe she should tell someone about it- even though she had spoken with Ratchet already and the subject never seemed to come up anymore. Would Optimus think different maybe? But then Bumblebee would know too, and that would cause a whole new bout of questions that needed answering along with the ones she herself already had...

"We're ok, it was just something I said." she assured, setting the side of her head on the window beside her. The seat under her shook once and Fera lifted her chin up to see them coming up on a large bridge. Its steel rafters soared high above as they crisscrossed over one another and dropped steeply to reconnect below. A view of the river sat beside them, stretching vastly into the distance to bow into the treeline and cut off from view. Fera could vaguely recall the days before her dad died, when he would take her fishing and she had been too afraid to kill the worms on the hook.

"Alright then." Optimus said, about to end the conversation. For some reason, the anxiety in Fera rose and she jerked to sit back up. "Wait!" she blurted. Maybe it was the thought of returning to her nagging mind that disturbed her, or it could have been the frightening future she knew she would have to face later on. Possibly, she could just be wanting a distraction from the essence in her heart.

Bumblebee's holo-driver looked over at her and she darted her eyes between him and the radio. The large truck with the flaming decals at the head of the group roared on as if nothing was happening- even with the sudden jump of Fera's voice. She half-hoped that Optimus wouldn't respond and she wouldn't appear as weak as she knew she already was. That reputation she tried upholding seemed only to dwindle as Hope grew. But once again, that smooth even-toned sound of the Autobot leader's voice echoed throughout the space as he asked, "Yes?" Fera glanced up at the rolling form that was the lead of the group.

Just as she did so, a small movement caught her eye in a way that only she seemed to notice. A slender, rectangular-shaped window beside the front of the truck moved so that it was pointing back towards Fera and Bumblebee. Even though she knew Bee's windows were tinted and she was certain that none would have simply been able to see inside, she was easily able to see herself inside the 'Bot's cabin.

She looked so tired and run down that it scared her. Her skin was paler than usual and her eyes weren't as light as before. The volume of her hair even had lessened and it now laid in a straight flatness. She appeared just as she felt: exhausted. Her shoulders squared in a stiff nervousness and her hands locked like two bear traps over her legs. Was she really that easy to read? Sighing and trying to loosen her tension, Fera decided to keep her gaze on the radio and not on what her bodily condition looked like.

"I...wanted you to tell me a story." she responded finally, her voice softer than she figured it would be. Fatigue edged on the borders of her mind and the past few weeks seemed to truly be settling over her. Through everything she'd come from, and all that she had fought to keep away, she couldn't help it anymore. Right now, all she needed was to be left alone, yet she dreaded the very thought of her mental solitude.

"A story?" he repeated. Fera lowered into the leather of Bee's seat and she nodded, knowing full well the mech could see her. From the looks of the trip so far, things wouldn't be ending anytime soon, which meant that silence was something to look forward to for much of that time. It was such a daunting thing to think of whenever she usually thought of silence- especially when she had grown so used to the noises around her and the now-familiar revs of engines or the full range of voices. Even the human ones that she felt she'd grown so annoyed with -including one particular secretary's- she couldn't help but feel a longing for. She needed something as a stability, like a pillar that she knew would always be there and always be what she needed it to be.

But she knew this was impossible to hope for. Nothing could last forever in a world such as the one she lived in now. Things would change and so would those around her. And when she felt that knowing deep inside of her, Hope would flare and bring her into a false sense of security. For once, she wished she could be left to experience the downfalls of her life. Only then, could she become stronger.

"What is it you wish to hear?"

He really was going to talk with her? Over something so simple and childish as this? Quickly, her mind made up a variety of different things she could ask for him to tell. Yet every time she would find something good to ask, she would realize just what the Prime could feel from it and she would move on. As the quiet stretched on, she suggested something before she could stop herself.

"The Decepticons."

It wasn't really what she'd wanted to talk about, but it was the thing she was most interested in at that moment. It seemed nothing else appeared even remotely intriguing at that instant and just the fact that she'd said so without even thinking went to show just how she felt about the subject. And the calmness of the mech she asked was also odd considering he never even showed a single sign of something wrong to his peers. It wasn't like she expected he would anyway- despite what she was used to before this whole fiasco. "Why is it you have taken such interest in the Decepticons?" he wondered.

The tone of his voice had Fera lifting her head and peering back out the front windshield. It was a question that was both grim and attentive, as if he were almost suspicious that she would have inquired such a thing. Letting the air escape her nose, Fera diverted her eyes back out the side window so Optimus wouldn't see her expression. "I know less of them than I would like to- let's just leave it at that."

"Has this anything to do with your Guardian?" the question was so sudden and so on point that Fera wondered if the Prime had planned it before she even gave an answer. Fera winced and crossed her arms, tucking them near as she put up another block to Hope. It easily broke through however, finding her mental state in less than ideal condition. The slow brushes it sent over her mind and heart were comforting, and it seemed to realize that her suddenly much more accepting nature wasn't because she was warming up to it just yet. Although, by a certain amount, she was beginning to enjoy these occasional touches from her second presence.

She herself couldn't even decide if what she thought was right. She knew he was who he was and even with this new bit of information, he was still him. But for some reason, her stubbornness refused to take just that. It refused for things to be simple. For some reason, just because she learned that he had been a Decepticon at some point, she felt the need to think he would return to that life and personality of mind. Swallowing and keeping her eyes averted, Fera settled herself against Bee's door. Why was he so quiet?

"My views of them are messed up and obscured; like everything I'd known before is shattered and broken."

"Is that how you truly feel?"

For a moment, Fera didn't notice the concerned edge to Optimus' voice. She was too focused on other things and answering what needed to be answered. Not on the emotion behind what was said. But then it sunk in and she smirked, turning her attention down to the dark side of Bumblebee's seat. "Mostly, seeing as my opinions of the Autobots are far more solid." she raised her head again and watched the blurred vegetation and streaks that were simple cars as they passed by. How long has it been since I've been in an actual car before? she thought silently. It must be so boring compared to this... Great. Now she was an adrenalin junkie?

The sun's rays appeared blocked completely by dusky, rolling clouds that threatened rain. An ominous feel came from the sight of them, as if she didn't know already of what was to come. "What is it you think of us?" he inquired next. Obviously, this conversation was going off track, but Fera felt he knew what he was doing. Whether that be distracting her, or avoiding the prior request of a story, she wasn't sure. To be honest, she was slightly glad he was moving away from darker things and trying to lighten the situation. Fera lifted one arm and started to play with the necklace at her neck absentmindedly. What did she think of them? "I see Bumblebee as a brother really." this got a happy chirp from the mute mech and Fera grinned, glancing over beside her to see the holo-driver wearing a smile of his own.

Moving her eyes back out the window, she caught the rear view of Sam Witwicky's head as he sat in the back with his family in Mirage's vehicle form. She saw Daniel bouncing around and she laughed softly. "Mirage, Ratchet, and Hound are like uncles to me." Fera moved from the red Ferrari to look at the CMO and then the deep green 'Bot who was carrying her mother. His top was up, but Fera was still able to see the broad beam of Sarah as she laughed at some said between them. It was good to see her happy in so much gloom.

Finally, Fera settled her eyes on the mech driving at a slower pace as the rain began to slowly pick up. "But you: you're more of a fatherly figure." she stretched her lips up and turned her face towards the window as small dots of moisture slid down across the surface. She propped her chin up with her hand and watched each as they flew off into the wind and curled to bubble into each other. Not long after the downpour began to harden, Bumblebee turned on his wipers and their loud squelching sounded every few seconds. "A mech creator?"

This got another chuckle from the teenager and she watched the raindrops that splattered across the windows of Bee's form with a ghostly smirk on her face. "Sort of." she agreed. She found a kind of tranquility that came from watching the rain and talking to a voice that knew so much but so little at the same time. On his own planet, he maybe some intelligent being of almighty power. But on Earth, this mech didn't understand anything about the planet except that from the Internet or the people themselves. He was like an alien-in-training so to speak.

"Well I'm honored you see me as so." he stated over the air. Fera stared out the glass and into the ashy grey of the rumbling, swollen clouds above them. She was even in a good enough mood to allow herself to open up to Hope. Its calming presence inside of her heart intensified and it began to once again search inside her for who-knows-what. Every time she found herself letting this thing in, it always wound up looking for something. Always investigating and trying to understand. Sometimes, she wished she could help, but she didn't know what to help with or how for that matter.

And for some reason as of late, she would almost address the thing, not as Hope, but as someone completely different. It was such a simple thing to call it by, but just as she was about to do it, she would forget the name and pause. She found such ease when she was about to say that name, and so it confused her when she suddenly became unable to remember. Possibly, it was when she hesitated that it vanished. Basically, she knew the name...but she didn't? It was on the tip of her tongue, and it seemed as easy to say as it was to breathe, yet she just couldn't say it.

Tell me, she called to Hope, trying desperately to contact it even though she knew it wouldn't answer, who are you? It reached for her as well, probing deeper and sending gripping tendrils to retrieve her even though she were already right beside him.

Him?

"What is it you think of Solas Kaon?" Optimus' voice startled Fera to the point where she actually jerked. She unclenched her hand, which she had unconsciously tightened on her necklace until there was a deep rosy-pink imprint of it in her palm. That was the very question she had asked herself over and over, yet tried to avoid all at the same time. Suddenly, her dim content faded and she was left to knit her fingers together and lay her temple on the cool glass of the window. "I...he isn't who I thought he was." she admitted softly.

She saw Bumblebee's driver look over at her, but she ignored it. Bee himself buzzed long and low, his seat vibrating much like his chassis had that time he'd held her. Fera found it to a soothing motion of comfort and she accepted it gratefully, though she showed no outward gratification. "Because of his past?" Optimus pressed.

"Because of what I don't know."

"And that is why you wish to know more about them." he assumed, causing Fera to downcast her eyes and simply refuse to look at anything but her hands. Of course she wanted to know more, but she was partially afraid of just what would be said as well. Before she knew of Solas' decent, she had been happy just knowing he was an Autobot: one who fought for good, and not a Decepticon: who fought for tyranny. She loved the simplicity and the easy feelings that came with that. But now...now everything was too complicated and everyone was too deeply concerned. Things have happened that she could only imagine, and still they fought a war that apparently involved her as a something important.

She found that everything was exciting at one time- that these wars and battles that were fought would be more of an adventure to become apart of. But then her innocence shattered and her from-a-distance view of epic fantasy turned into a vision of horrendous reality and destruction. Just one being who she thought she could grab onto for support, the one she felt she could use as her pillar...it turned out he was apart of that sickening gloom as well. He was just another piece of the building puzzle that created itself and seemed to bend the rules of fate and law just to watch a sick game of amusement.

"I...it's..." she didn't think she could finish the sentence. Or maybe, she wouldn't be able to stop if she did start. Things were so much better back when. Though as of late? She found this was no simple game. It was hate and war and death. And, without her ability to anything, she had become a pawn in it.

Tears nearly sprang on the corners of her eyes as her throat tightened. None of them deserved this. Any of it. They were all good, kind beings who only wished for peace. Solas hadn't deserved to join the 'Cons because of what he had been; of where he came from. "I just...just...I just don't know what to think anymore!" her head shrunk into her shoulders and she clenched her teeth. Her outburst had started it, and now she didn't think she could stop if she'd wanted to. "With all the secrets and all the pasts he refuses to tell me, I feel like I don't even know him! That bit about his being half Decepticon: I got over that because I knew that wasn't his decision and I knew he had no choice over his birth. But the fact that he didn't tell he was a Decepticon broke my trust...my..."

Her rambling bubbled from her and flowed without her ability to cut herself off. She felt like she needed to say these things, and if she didn't, then she would explode. Even Hope seemed to hold its breath as she flushed her emotions from her system and spilled them to the world. But it was always there, right next to her. Could it hear her?

"Fera stop." the Prime's voice was lost to her, even when she had to pause to catch her breath and wipe the streak of tears from her face.

"I wouldn't have judged him for what he had been because I knew he's good at heart- or spark, or whatever you call it, and his choices shouldn't have decided his future...but it's..." she sniffed and whimpered pathetically as she broke down. Now? Was this really the best time to fall apart? When she was speaking with a Prime and riding inside her so-named brother?

"Fera-"

"I judge them as a whole; their actions as individuals, not as a total group-"

"Fera, stop."

The young woman lifted her head and peered out of the windshield, as if looking at the back of the truck before them would help her any. Of course, it didn't, but she couldn't avoid it. He looked like some normal, everyday truck with some expensive-looking paint job and a fancy silver trailer. But she knew, and felt for that matter, so much more than that. He was full of wisdom and a knowing she couldn't fathom, and just the thoughts of what he had gone through during his years upon years in war was overwhelming.

"I-"

"Solas is fearful of what you would have believed in him when hearing of his past dues." he intercepted. Fera sniffed again, wiping the back of her sleeve against her nose. She blotted her eyes and took a shaky gulp of air. At that moment, she just wanted so badly to just crawl up into the mech-in-mention's hands and tell him herself that she didn't think anything different of him. At first, she felt betrayed- yet when she really thought about it and the realization came... "A path taken early in a journey would not have decided the fate to finish its way. What you see is far more than what most do, but it is only because you've learned of who your Guardian was that enables you to view him this way. Now you are able to see as I."

His small speech had Fera grinning in an incredulous way and she softly laughed. "I'm not a Prime Optimus." she commented, finally gaining control of her self once more. Bumblebee whirred lowly and she reached over to pat the dashboard in reassurance.

"But you would have made a fine one, Fera Lennox."

At this statement, she went deathly quiet. Her, a Prime? She couldn't even imagine herself as such, still, the true belief behind Optimus' words carried in his voice and she couldn't help but feel honored by such a comment. So far, she saw the Prime as a figure she could easily take as a role model, and to get such high praise from him was nothing short of amazing in her eyes. For a split second, she wondered just what it would be like to be a Cybertronian Prime and how she would behave. Would she be like Optimus? Or would her personality transfer over to the new stature?

"As your race has said before: 'If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change'." he went on.

Fera opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped herself and closed it again. Time and time again she was rendered speechless by this mighty Autobot, and every time she wished she had even a flicker more of intelligence just so she could make a sensible response. But the silence answered for her and she allowed it to strike the conversation short. What happened to the story?

The first flash of lightning blinded her and struck in a needle-thin web of electricity as the arm cracked the clouds like glass. The pure white energy was gone before she could blink and with it, came the rumbling thunder. A deep, growling crash built low and quickly picked up volume as it clapped and let itself echo far into the lasting air it left. Fera pressed herself away from the window and she scrabbled for the seat Bee's holo-driver sat in.

A questioning buzz came from the young 'Bot and Fera shook her head, her eyes wide and her hands holding firm to the seat she aimed for. Her legs were pulled up close and she held her knees so near that they nearly touched her stomach. Her seat belt stretched over her body and cut into her neck as she kept herself as far as possible from the window.

"It's...ok." the radio crackled and filled with static before it broke. Fera jumped with the voice and then she sighed. Her body sagged and she relaxed slightly, but she didn't move back into her seat. Before coming to meet the Autobots, she hadn't been afraid of thunderstorms. In fact, she'd rather enjoyed them. Now, they just scared the crap out of her.

Another flash pierced the sky and Fera squeaked, tucking her head beneath her arms and holding on even tighter to the compartment between Bumblebee's two front seats. "Fera, you have no fear of a Decepticon, but lightning scares you?" it was Ratchet's voice over the waves of Bumblebee's radio and Fera lifted her head to fix the medic with a harsh glare. He chuckled and the sound filtered around Fera. Had she ever heard him laugh before? Her aggravation turned to surprise as she aimed her eyes out the dotted glass of Bee's windshield. "Can you blame your uncle for trying to lighten the air?"

At this, her wonder turned to shock and then pure agitation. She sat up and pointed her accusing gaze at the leading mech vehicle before the gathered group.

"Optimus-!"

She was about to release Hell on the mech for sharing such personal information without her knowing, and even more so when she grew concerned at just who else had heard. But before she could, there was a flash that couldn't have been the lightening, and an ear-shattering noise of an explosion. Then, faster than she could react, her breath was knocked from her and she was airborne. Her whole world was a spinning mass of moving color and shape while she nearly floated in the cabin.

It was like a peaceful split second of peace; of noiseless and breathless intensity that she hadn't even the time to scream from. The road was gone and so were the other 'Bots, and Fera hadn't the ability to wonder where they were.

A sharp crack sounded and Fera gasped, covering her head as Bumblebee spin cause her body to be flung to the side. Her shoulder made contact with the window and her head struck the roof. A shocking force ripped her from her solid position and sent her flying free in the seat she sat in, slitting the skin at her neck with something sharp and letting her collide with the door. She yelled out as her hip hit what she figured was the door and her legs smacked the dash.

Glass shattered and Fera screamed, her body howling in agony as she struggled to cover her face and protect her head at the same time. Random stabs impaled her arms and body while a horrible pain stuck in her leg. Everything was happening so quickly that she couldn't understand enough to see or understand.

Suddenly, the ride peaked and Fera slammed against the roof once again, causing what she assumed to be glass to cut into her back and scrape her bare forearms. Then she was abruptly lurched forward, the seat belt grabbing her pelvis and painfully wrenching her back. Her hands slipped and the crown of her head hit an unforgiving surface, causing another breathless cry to split her lips.

And then it all stopped.

Bumblebee's vehicle form quit rolling and he creaked to a stop, rocking to sway twice before coming to a halt. Fera was upside-down and she was left to hang limply from the seat belt across her chest and legs. Her mind was roaring in both agony and muddled confusion. Her movements were sluggish as she moaned and bent her elbows, which hung above her in a locked bout of reoccurring waves of fire.

Her skin felt flushed and she noticed a warm and slick slipping substance over her face and down her fingers. Groaning again, Fera opened her eyes from the darkness that refused to allow her to escape the excruciating courses in her tired limbs. Laces of affliction traveled all over her and focused mainly on her back and down her arms. A horrible feeling tied her stomach as she turned her head and attempted at seeing what was around her. She was definitely hanging in the seat, with her belt digging into her hips. Bumblebee's frame squeaked again and through the darkness, Fera was able to squint and see the faint flickering that was the dashboard lights.

"Bumble...bee." she murmured with a soft and hoarse voice. There came no answer from the 'Bot and Fera grew instantly concerned. However, with the sound of the car around her, she became confused and looked where she could. Everything was seemingly trembling, almost vibrating as if he were scared.

Slowly, Fera's mind came to focus and she realized just what was happening. Frightened and high on what energy she had left, Fera gave a pained grunt and she curled into herself to lift her hands and locate her seat belt. By the look of her pale skin turned into a far darker shade, she was not going to like what she saw when she got into the light. However, she didn't care much for that as she fumbled to get to the clip and undo it. Her fingers were slippery and uncoordinated as they flicked over the small metal square.

"Come on, come on!" she hissed, her teeth clenching. Something clicked around her and Fera made a small noise, causing the distress inside of her to rise. Hope appeared from out of nowhere, rushing her with its own encouragement and pushing a strange energy towards her that finally allowed her to focus enough to unclip the seat belt. Fera fell like a rock onto the floor, where more glass was waiting to bite into the soft flesh of her palms. She cried out loudly and bowed on all fours until her forehead nearly touched the backs of her hands; her breathing quivered as she fought to keep a steady pattern.

When another snap cracked the air, Fera shot back up and gasped, looking above. The inside of the car was beginning to shift and move, slowly, but surely. With Hope bellowing at her to go and her adrenalin pumping in her veins, Fera yanked her eyes away and forced down her building terror to drag along her limbs. Intense shocks slit across her knees as she slid them forward and shuffled between them before she would hesitantly place down a hand. Fera felt glass embedding into her and she rolled in her lips in to bite down on them, tears silently falling down her cheeks.

She was able to get down low and carefully crawl forward out of the side window that sat beside the seat she had dangled from minutes before. She slipped underneath the bent frame and she made her way into the outside world, where the rain was waiting and the grass was slick beneath her. Fera sucked in air and climbed to her feet weakly, swaying for a moment before she regained her balance. Her head swam and she blinked before she shook it, trying to clear the inside as though she were a dog.

She looked up into the sky as cold beads of moisture pounded the top of her head and slithered over her shoulders to drench her clothing. She felt the liquid as it trickled into her mouth and beaded through her hair. Numbly, she peered down again and lifted her arms to see the damage. Streaming off of her tinted skin was her own rusty-red blood, pushing in long pulses as they coursed from the pieces of crimson glass in her flesh.

Without her true sound of mind, Fera was able to drop her damaged limbs without any reaction to the mess and tip her head to the side. The broken, battered form of her temporary Guardian lay releasing a series of loud moans and groans as he finished transforming into his bipedal form. Fera turned to him, watching as he just went slack into the muddy ditch with his hands by his head and his legs spread behind him. "Bumblebee?" she murmured.

The rain seemed to help her thoughts and when Hope swiftly dove through her mind, she snapped into a better thinking and her eyes widened. Her hands shook from both the pain and the fright constricting her now. Without hesitating any more, she lunged forward and scrambled across the rain-covered grass to his arm. She then threw herself over the small mound and looked over it to lean down and bring out her hands. With feather-light fingers, she reached out to touch Bee's face and run them along his exposed cheek. Those cute, blue eyes of his were so dim that they no longer even seemed online, and Fera gave a low sound of anxiety as she pushed herself further over to brush his face. She swept past the cap of his mouth and she said his name again. With eyes that sparked on and off, Bumblebee moved to barely shift his head and look at her. Fera grinned with relief and she patted his face softly before she continued to rub her thumb over his metallic features.

"Come on Bee, you have to get up." she spoke over the pelting rain and above the thunderous din with barely anything audible, but Bee still watched her carefully- as if he understood every word. "That's right," she cooed, smiling though she trembled with the sight of her bloodied arms and the feel of her wounded body, "stay with me."

The young 'Bot blinked at her, but he said nothing. He was barely conscious now and she feared what would happen if he fell under. But one thing kept poking at her, building her confusion and putting her mind through chaos.

What happened?

Looking up, Fera bowed herself back and pushed herself up. Before she moved however, she made sure to bend lower once again and graze Bee's arm. "Don't leave me yet Bee. I'll be right back." she then flashed him a supportive smile and she stood again.

Unsteady on her feet, Fera moved around Bee and struggled to get around his hulking figure. Not far away, she tripped, falling into the mud and causing the wounds on her arms and body to come to life in a renewed vigor. Fera growled and tried keeping back her cries of pain. When she partially recovered, she was able to slide to her elbows and knees, where she leaned onto her heels and held her head low to let the rain drip from the ends of her saturated hair. Slowly, she raised her hands to fully assess what was there. They were full of glass and so raw and bloody...

Through the rain and snarling bouts of thunder, Fera could hear the sound of shouting and she realized the terrifying calls of screams both human and Cybertronian. Blankly, she stared at her hands and watched the tiny streams of life flowing from her. Everything hurt so much and the only thing she could think of was that her whole body was full of glass and she needed to get her friend some help.

"Well isn't this a pathetic sight?"

Hearing this new, unfamiliar voice, Fera let her hands lower and she panned her view up. She saw the odd square shape of the speaker's feet and the small, triangle-shaped wings that hung there. Through the misty sheen, she scanned the body further to see a towering mech with his shoulders held high and the strange halves of a cone that sat behind his head. He was a navy blue color with bright orange details and Fera squinted at him in an attempt to figure out who he was. Then, a blinding shock of lightning lit up the sky and highlighted a symbol on the wings on his feet. Fera's body went limp and her lips parted with a shocked expression.

"Is that fear I see? Oh, this should be fun."

Hmm, who is this strange new character?

He's not one of my own- he's actually from the original G1 series :D

But my lips are sealed ;)

But seriously, I wouldn't be writing without you guys, so thank you all so much

I hope you can all continue to read my work and tell me what you think ^v^

*Chapter Inspiration: Where The Story Ends=The Fray*