Well, we did it everyone, 100 reviews!

Thank you all for getting me this far, and let's shoot for 200 next! :D

And I promise, something's gonna happen soon, but I'm a little slow in getting there...

Definitely in the next few chapters though.

Promise.

Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 32

The light was dark now. Oh so very dark.

The one light she had hated yet relied on so much was just...gone.

A chill had set in the cast-iron Hell, matching the stark bluntness of the silver walls. Air as heavy as the ocean piled on to a small form huddled against the corner of the wall, crushing her lungs with its incredible depth. Beside her position, there was a small trail of brownish-red life leading to the far reaches behind the gleaming, silver operation table. No life that she cared to become alert to roamed in and out of the door, passing on with their day -or days- as if she were nothing more than a trophy to look over. Maybe she was.

Horrible smells of blood, odor, and urine pierced the air and the girl's nose. However, she didn't screw up her face at the stench, for she had long ago become used to the scents she produced. She had no shoes to protect the soles of her feet from feeling the vivid iciness of the floor or anything more than rags to wear over her battered and crusted body. Filth and grime covered her once pale skin while the rusted red of her injuries itched insanely. She refused to pick at the oozing scores on her arms or even look at the black and blue tangle that was her ankle. Even briefly sweeping past it made her nauseous.

She was left alone to sit where she was now ever since she'd been released from that God-awful table under the blinding spotlight. Barely ever did they give her food, and the only times she could relieve herself was at the opposite end of the room- or as far as she could get with her mangled ankle and not pee herself on the way. Anytime a new figure came in to watch over her, she needn't see their faces to know what their expressions would be. Disgust, amusement, repulsion, shock, indifference, irritability, and overall hate were among the most she was sure. But she wasn't here to win them over, now was she?

Fera blinked again before continuing her trained, weak stare into space. Her breathing was low enough that she couldn't even hear it, forcing her to actually check herself every so often to make sure she was still sucking in air. Her whole body ached from sitting for so long and her skin was constantly covered in goose bumps from the stinging cold of the floor as it crept up her vulnerable body. A feeling of brittleness passed her mind and she slowly closed her lids shut, taking a moment to regain herself. Shudders racked her sore frame and juggled her resentful stomach. Bile lodged in the back of her throat, waiting for a time to release its sour juices over her thick tongue.

Some flecks of dried blood fluttered from her skin and Fera opened her eyes, watching as the spec floated between her knees and settled on the ground. There was so much running through her head that she was lagging in anything that she did. Her shady mind swirled in a complex mix of what she figured was real and what she doubted could be and then moved on before she could come to any solid decision. Faces would appear ever so often, but she pushed those away when she felt the pain and misery at separation welling in her chest. She loathed these beings whom had taken her from her new family, and she hated them even more for stealing away the secrets she held to protect that said family. The memories she held of them made her angry and full of a deep, meaningful grudge that egged on her less than stable state.

And then there was Hope.

The one entity she felt she could hold on to wherever she went, no matter the place she was thrown to, had kept itself bright despite her surrounding darkness. It forced itself into her heart though she pathetically tried keeping it away. And when the discomfort in her chest had cause tears to spring at the corners of her eyes, she'd quit and instead reached for it. She clutched onto Hope like she'd never done before. It reacted calmly towards her, taking her into its overwhelming presence and soothing her scorching flesh. Like a child, she had silently sobbed into Hope and allowed it to comfort her in the voiceless whispers it always produced. There, she had admitted what she'd never before done: that she was scared. She was scared. Helplessly, breathtakingly, unimaginably scared.

Her nails dug deep into her knees as she recounted that exact moment; the one that had finally broken her into allowing that truth to arise in her heart. Her deepest fears had seemed meaningless with the face of Death, yet now she still regretting admitting her being unsettled. Hope didn't seem to care that she was finally bringing it nearer to her once again, but it was holding onto her quite determinedly, almost as if it thought she was going to disappear. She couldn't help but feel pleased at the soothing presence it brought to her world of agony. Maybe she should let herself warm to it from now on...

Nonetheless, it was her personal pride that had been humbled and her self-loyalty of strength that'd shattered. She reached up after taking a shaking drag of air, meaning to grab her necklace -which continued to vibrate softly with her lasting hold on Hope- but passed it up and instead brushed that exact thing that had snapped her.

Gasping, she yanked her hand away and pressed her back against that so frigid wall. It was a sensitive area to her, that hadn't really hurt much compared to everything else done to her, but had meant so much more. It was definitely going to scar, which wouldn't allow her to ever forget just what she had gone through these past...hours? Days? She mostly counted them now by the times she slept, though she'd quickly lost count of those too.

Closing her eyes, she recounted the last few deafening beats of her heart and the spike in her adrenalin when she felt a second form leaning over with the fembot. It had been a mech, she knew, and the moment he spoke, she'd recognized him as one of the two she hated the most.

"Not so defiant now, are we?" her captor had chuckled darkly and Fera felt her rising dread peak when she could do nothing to react but try to catch her evasive breath. "What do you plan to do with her Arachnid?" Fera had jerked at this and her eyes bulged when she quickly searched above her against the vast, white light.

Arachnid caught her eye and shifted to blot out her own share of a lithe black outline. "Nothing that concerns you yet Dirge, I have merely called you here for your abilities. Nothing more." it was at that moment that Fera meant to say something, but all she could create was a hoarse series of breaths and some minute movement of her lips. Another chuckle came from who knew who, "Who says I can't have a little fun first?" Fera felt her chest rising and falling unevenly at these words from Dirge, causing her already speeding heart to flutter like a hummingbird.

"Keep your games to yourself, she is mine to break."

Was she a freaking toy to them?

"Well when we send her lifeless corpse to her beloved Autobots, we should at least give them something to look at, right?"

Fera had then pressed herself further into the table and knitted her eyebrows as the words settled in. Her breathing stopped and her heart skipped a beat. Lifeless corpse? What happened to being needed? Didn't they want her for something?

"Her importance is yet to be decided."

"I won't kill her Arachnid, just a little...signature, if you will. Something to remember me by."

"Fine. Just don't make a mess."

The larger, imposing silhouette of Fera's abductor came closer, nearly eclipsing the reach of the light. An almost heavenly halo stretched out behind him, like a fuzzy outline of purity just beyond his devilish barrier. As soon as he came into her way and his features could be better seen, Fera noted the terrible grin on his face and the way he studied her with far too much interest. She tested her senseless limbs and found them unresponsive, causing her anxiety to rise greatly. Dirge then had raised his arm and brought it towards her, setting the tip of a gleaming knife to lay at the hollow of her collarbone.

With the utmost carefulness, Dirge flicked the knife and Fera gasped with the stinging nick in her skin. It wasn't anything horrible, but the words he said next were: "Look Arachnid," Dirge lifted back, "she's bonded."

Fera's eyelids flew open again and she let her bad leg straighten out. This new mark on her life, for some reason beyond her, affected her in a way that she never knew she could be. It was a mental and emotional scar more than physical. This one would remind her of everything she'd been through in these past days, or weeks, or months for the rest of her life. If she lived past this, that was.

The door hissed. She didn't look at who'd came in. Her head tipped back to the wall and she let her mind drift back to when things had been simpler. Her simple would have been lounging around with her mother, or Epps, or even one of the 'Bots. It would be letting herself move past her father's death by quietly crying out her grief and then allowing her skin to thicken. It would be standing in the middle of her house with the windows drawn open and the sound of her violin drifting along through the halls as she played in the spring. It would be sitting back at home atop the roof, staring up at the stars while the night wind brushed her cheek and ruffled her hair. The bright stars would be shining down at her and the fireflies would be swimming around among them as reachable heavenly bodies. The crickets would be chirping...

"Are you alive, human?"

Allowing her dreamy haze to abruptly end, Fera kept up her hold with Hope and faced the next demon at her door. However, when she saw his 'demon', she was unsure if she should have been relieved. Titanios.

"Living the dream Titanios." she muttered roughly, letting her arm sit on her lifted knee with her other to lie across her thigh. She cleared her parched throat, only to try once again to swallow nothing but what saliva wasn't there. She let her eyes sit open only to watch the large 'Con walk slowly across the ground. It didn't take long until she had to actually lift her chin to see him better, but when she did, he just stopped and stood a good five yards away. "I'm guessing that was sarcasm." he noted, watching her steadily.

Fera rolled her eyes and lifted herself to try and sit up. Her lower back muscles tensed and she squeezed her eyes shut at the length of the aches and pains in her limbs. She was able to awkwardly shove her good leg beneath her bad one and give herself better balance, but she still relied greatly on the barrier behind her. Once up, she was able to lift her arm and grab the cup containing the pitiful amounts of water she'd been left with the last time a Decepticon had come in with anything considered edible. Greedily taking in the lasts of it, Fera sighed and let the glass fall from her hand.

"And you should expect it a lot with me." she said, raising an arm closer. She gathered the spit in her mouth and let it fly over her pink skin. She then carefully began rubbing it around, removing the spots of crimson and allowing her to at least partially clean her wounds. Hopefully, nothing would become infected and she could have some comfort for the time being. The ends of her 'clothes' served as a good substitute for a cleaning cloth, and she was able to wipe away a lot of the crusted blood on her limbs. "Why is it you are here? Is there some secret you're keeping from my peers?" Titanios broke the silence and Fera looked up, pausing in cleaning her arm.

After searching the plates of the 'Con's face, she realized that he really wasn't kidding with her. He really didn't know. She returned to watching herself run the cloth over her skin and avoiding looking up as she kept the conversation going, "If I did, I would probably be dead, locked up somewhere else, or being cut into as we speak." she spit again, "No one in this place knows why I'm here. I don't, and your psychopathic leader Arachnid apparently doesn't."

"Arachnid has some minor...processor issues." Titanios' voice was hesitant, like he felt he was being judged. Fera actually snorted and she rested back against the wall for a moment. "She's the she-Devil to say the least. I don't think she has a hint of humanity in her." she let her head roll to the side and lock eyes with the Decepticon, who had at some point moved towards the very table that she'd thought to be her deathbed. He scanned over the top and then glided his hand over the edge, "Humanity is not a term she knows." he agreed, "However, she is far more intelligent than you realize. Fighting her in the state you're in may prove fatal."

They shared eye contact, one an icy defiance, and the other a scarlet vigilance. She was hoping that this one would be one should could tolerate. But it was looking like Titanios was going to become just like the others. "If she really wants me so bad," Fera's eyes narrowed into slits that appeared far stronger than she felt, "then I'd rather die here than help her hurt them."

At first, Titanios said nothing. He kept his hand by the table full of the red and brown smears and didn't keep her gaze for long. For some reason, Fera felt like she was watching a painter examining his art, with his eyes focused and his overall expression difficult to read. What was he thinking? So far, Titanios hadn't said a single thing to lead her wrong, yet she couldn't bring herself to trust him. Though he was simpler than the others and far kinder, he was what he was. Nothing would change that. She let her hand travel back to her necklace, where she grabbed it for dear life and released an uneven breath. What about Solas? He was born a 'Con and lived as one for a stretch of time, so why would he act like a 'Bot? He irritated her like a brother, and still, it was better than how Arachnid and Dirge treated her. Solas was no 'Con, yet he still technically was. Could Titanios be like Solas somehow? Could any Decepticon?

"You're brave." it was such an unexpected comment, Fera thought she might not have even heard it. Letting her eyes travel back to her company, she watched the hefty Titanios as he removed his hand from the table and peered down at her, "Stupidly so, but you are brave nonetheless." Fera rolled her eyes and coughed, wiping her mouth before she took a few long takes of air to settle her already unstable breathing pattern. He sure talked like Solas.

"Thanks, you're so kind."

"Is that more sarcasm?"

"No, it's my regular speaking voice- yes it's sarcasm!"

Fera groaned lowly from the pain emanating from both her broken ankle and the muscles deep in her back and arms. Of course she was being stupid, defying Arachnid as she was, but did she care? It was keeping her both sane and whatever secret she held safe from the 'Cons. So if it meant slowly being torn apart in order to save the precious secret of her father and his befriended comrades, then so be it. It couldn't possibly not be worth all this trouble, right? The 'Bots wouldn't have kept her locked up in that base if it wasn't. But shouldn't she be allowed to know what she'd been willing to die for? There was something she was missing here... "I have overheard Arachnid speaking with one of her warriors recently."

Fera trembled at the name, but she still was nonetheless surprised at Titanios' statement. Suspicious, Fera cautiously approached the subject, "Meaning what?"

"Meaning I have come up with useful information."

Silence.

"She does not yet know how you are useful to her, however, she does recognize the energy radiating from the charm around your jugular." he nodded towards her and Fera tightened her already harsh grip on the pendant. "How is that supposed to help me? My necklace is just that: a necklace." she knew it wasn't true. She was lying through her teeth. But, like she'd vowed before, anything remotely interesting to the 'Cons should be kept away at all costs. That included things the Autobots themselves didn't understand.

Fera tried hiding the necklace by dropping it in her shirt, but she knew no matter where she hid it, the Decepticons would find it. Titanios turned back to her and began to slowly pace in her direction. When close, he squatted down, with his knees jabbing outwards and his arms draped over his thighs. "Are you willing to suffer for something as minute as a charm?" he questioned, a hint of disbelief in his rugged tone. Fera looked away and crossed her arms over her chest, "If it's important enough, yeah. It just means that I'm keeping it away from you guys."

"But none of us understand its importance anyway. Why not stop this and save your life?"

"If you were in my situation, what would you do? The 'Bots think I'm important, so whatever I have must be too. My suffering is keeping the world safe."

"We wish to have a means to rebuild our dead planet, to regrow what has been lost. If Arachnid sees this chance within you, then she certainly will try to achieve it."

A loud, very ironic snort echoed from the smaller human and she rolled her eyes. Where they even talking about the same species? She could feel the disbelief welling in her heart at Titanios' words and a small edge of hatred that this could all be for nothing. But, there was that one moment that she paused and considered what he'd said, and how it sounded vaguely similar to Arachnid. Where the 'Cons truly not so different than the Autobots? Fera blinked and her skeptical smirk fell into a deep frown. Who is fighting for what anymore? she wondered. They both say they want peace, yet all they do is fight. "Right," she huffed, turning her face away, "the psycho wants peace, just like the Autobots. But what's happening now? Oh right, you're still fighting."

Titanios said nothing at this and Fera felt a heavy weight pulling on her eyelids. She hadn't trusted herself to sleep for quite some time now, afraid she may never wake again or end up in another experiment. There was a strange buzzing sensation from Hope that she found oddly comforting, despite the pain that still lingered in her body and the horrifying moments she feared she'd lose her life at the hands of the enemy. "Trust me, if she wanted nothing but to recover your planet, there wouldn't be a war anymore. The Autobots want peace, and now you're telling me she does too? I doubt it."

She heard a shifting from Titanios and then quiet. Looking over, she saw him once again over by the back wall, leaning against it calmly with his arms crossed over his chest. How could he appear so calm in a place like this? The very air was coursing with the venom of hate and the tension of impending agony was thicker than cement mix. No man nor 'Bot would be able to lift this layer of terrible and uncontrollable horror seeping deep into Fera's heart. She was letting it take over her body, which was leading her to open up the way to Hope. Doubt was building inside of her, despite her struggle to keep her hold on the only drug keeping her thoughts clear. It was her only anchor- her only thing to make sure her mind didn't spiral out of control. Without Hope, she was sure she would have given up long ago.

"Tell me something," Titanios began, blinking his ever so red eyes before going on, "are you afraid to perish?" dying. He wanted to know if she was afraid to die.

Fera felt her heart drop and her throat tighten. Her whole world spun with a crushing wisdom that seemed to finally be settling in. She could die. She could really die here. These could be her last weeks, or days, or even hours, she couldn't tell. And that was what made it all so much worse: she didn't know. Of course, no one knew when they were going to die, but it was more of a blissful ignorance than a grim knowing. She knew it was coming, she just didn't know when. She was going to be constantly on alert for whatever time she had left. Giving a shuddering sigh, Fera fought back the lump in her throat and the flurry of faces parading through her mind. "Yes." she answered. "Knowing that I'm helping out the 'Bots only makes it a little better. It doesn't completely erase it though."

Again, they set into a hollow silence, one that Fera figured was the end of the conversation. She wrapped her arms around her knees and tucked her chin between, staring off into the dim like she had before. Maybe this was better- this darkness. She couldn't see her ankle, or the various wounds littered across her skin. Hope's light was far brighter in this prison and Fera allowed herself the break in her stubborn independence to just grab hold of it as strongly as she could.

"Why is it you side with the Autobot's?"

Fera's eyes opened and she sighed, letting her eyes fall to the ground to study the scuffs and marks there. "You wouldn't understand." she sniped softly, avoiding looking towards Titanios as she heard nothing immediately in return.

"Why is that?"

"Because you're a 'Con. You just wouldn't understand." she lifted her head up and stared back into the eyes of the enemy, making sure to keep her gaze cautious. This mech asked a lot of questions. "Perhaps, however I am merely attempting to understand you more." the smoothness in his voice irritated Fera seemingly for no reason and she dug her nails further into her skin. It hurt to be here, talking to him. He just reminded her too much of one of the 'Bots. He was nothing like Arachnid and Dirge. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing. "Why? So you can just report every little detail of me back to Arachnid?" she spat. She didn't like spilling her personal life to most anyone except whom she had grown close to, and that was but only a handful of people and Cybertronians.

Before he could respond, the door opened and Fera jerked. Her startled expression trained on the open rush of faint light and dusky grey rectangle that was the entrance. A curved form, one that stood with an intimidating and proud stance, remained still for a short heartbeat before entering. Her figure gave her away immediately and Fera softly gasped, pressing herself spine against the wall as far as she could. Her back muscles pulsed in protest to the constant and sudden force of her pushing on them, and her bad leg struggled to move correctly as she kept rubbing her heels into the floor for a better strength.

"Arachnid." Fera whispered, her eyes widening as she froze with her palms practically glued to the wall. A mech, shorter than Titanios, but taller than Arachnid, walked along behind her. He was all silver, with smaller black details around his helmet and limbs. His eyes bore into her with an almost scrutinizing gaze, like she was about to be scolded for getting into trouble. Another mech walked in on her other side, coming up to face towards Fera with his own disapproving watch. He was surprisingly tall, but he was thinner, with wings protruding from his back that hung down in his bipedal form. This newer mech had more black around his plates, mostly tattooed around here and there, but most focused around his chest area.

Fera found the strength to stand, though she held her broken limb off the ground as she did so. She barely made it before having to flatten herself against the wall again to face her giant adversaries. Arachnid was peering at her with unmistakable irritation, but she didn't speak out in temper or lash at Fera. Instead, she looked to Titanios while her two comrades glared at Fera threateningly. "Titanios, join your brother in preparing the equipment. Whatever Platon requests, you two shall retrieve it. Compute?" her stern order had both the 'Cons nodding. Briskly, they moved, neither even glancing in Fera's direction as they did so. Titanios had a brother? They looked nothing alike, especially body-wise. Titanios was broad and tall, while his brother was lean and appeared pretty agile. One for power and one for speed.

Cautiously, Fera switched her eyes between Titanios, his brother, and Arachnid. There was a hot sense of nervousness welling inside of her, and it took all she had not to bolt. Where would she go anyway? She had a shattered ankle, so even if she did miraculously get somewhere, how would she contact the others? The chances were just too slim to consider. She was trapped- simple as that.

Titanios' brother was quick to carry out Arachnid's command, and he himself followed suit not long after. Just what did the fembot have planned? Was this another interrogation? Was Arachnid finally carrying out her threats to kill her? Fera shivered with the ominous and unspoken menace that breezed through the room. Her head felt almost like it was going to float off of her shoulders, while her feet felt a lot less cooperative than she remembered them being. Loosing a lot of blood would do that to a person.

Hope fought to keep her calm, but every small, incredibly horrible possibility for the Decepticons to torture her more seemed to crash all on her at once. These terrifying ideas climbed past the barriers she desperately raised and caused her imagination to soar in an array of agonizing choices they could make her suffer with. She couldn't breath properly and her throat hurt. Her heart was pounding so loudly and she felt absolutely helpless standing here like an injured puppy while she awaited her plausible death. The waiting was the worst part, even if it lasted no more than five minutes at the most.

The one called Platon came forward before she could react and he reached down to grab her. He spoke not a word as she gasped and began to beat at his fingers, as if she figured she had even a small chance of escape. Hell be burned if she was going to let them take away her lasting spirit. She would fight until her limbs grew cold, and before then, she'd give them something to remember. As he carried her across the room, Fera clawed at his gripping hands and tried jamming her own between the plates of his so to grab something to pull. Her attempts where pointless, she knew, but she couldn't help the dim remnants of her fiery stubbornness. There was no way she was letting them do whatever they wanted to her without a fight. Of that, she was sure.

"I already told you I don't know anything, you disgusting, overheated, piles of s-" Platon squeezed her midsection mercilessly and she called out at the abrupt, consuming pain that accompanied his action. It wasn't the worst she had ever felt, but there was something about her being sore and in danger that made everything seem worse than it was.

The 'Con gave her no time to recover as she felt herself flung higher into the air. Her mind stalled for a short time and her stomach dropped. By now, shouldn't she be used to heights? As her mind flopped on itself and she felt the vertigo from moving so fast, she allowed herself to fall quiet in order to help herself organize her thoughts. However, she stayed alert enough to feel the clamps closing over her wrists and the absolute dread that overcame her. She screamed at Hope, begging, for the first time of her life. It held onto her tightly, trying to coax her into a better state of mind though she thwarted each and every attempt. Her fear was just too strong.

Her pale face whitened even more and she felt the cold seep through her from this foreboding. Not this. Not again. She could already feel it- that prodding scalpel on her flesh; the shocks of fire that flashed through her limbs constantly; the raging bursts of darkness pulling over her eyes, just to let her awaken again to suffer until she fell under later on. It was all a cycle. An endless, scream-filled, excruciating cycle.

Fera noted that Platon's face was hovering closely to her as he adjusted the wrist shackles and tested the chin. So, as an act of pure, foolish, irrational behavior, Fera kicked out as hard as she possibly could with her good leg. It hit its mark, and the clear, shaky ring of the hit struck out in the dim as the only sound for the past minute or so. Platon reared away from her and touched his face where she had kicked him. The quiet 'Con's eyes narrowed and he scowled at her, his face dipping forward as shadows crossed his threatening expression.

Arachnid came forward and snarled, snatching Fera up in her hand and bringing her close. Fera sucked in a sharp breath of air and let her eyes dart around aimlessly. There was something different about her now, almost like...she was taller.

Maybe that had something to do with the fact that six thin, long legs were now holding them both up even further from the ground.

"You cannot keep secrets from me, child." she hissed angrily, "Tell us why it is you have taken force with the Autobots, otherwise, we may have to resort to less desirable measures." Fera knitted her eyebrows and fought the urge to look away. She had to seem brave, or else she'd die a coward. Better to die with courage than die as a yellow-bellied scum. Grounding her teeth against the rising pain of Arachnid's grip, Fera coughed and strained against her chains. "As if I could anyway." she coughed again, only rattling the soreness in her bones, "But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Ever."

Arachnid didn't seem to take this very well. After giving a malicious laugh, she threw Fera away from her and let her swing before grabbing her ankle with the points of her fingers. It didn't take that long for Arachnid to wait as she pressed down on Fera's lower limb. Incredible scores of heart-stopping, breathtaking pain ripped through Fera. She tensed against the chains, trying to pull herself up somehow as her own shriek shattered the room's silence. This session didn't last as long as the others, but it still left the same impression. Fera was left to hang limply in the air, trying to catch her breath as her ankle pulsed hotly.

"It appears that you have quite the spirit, Fera." Arachnid commented, slowly leaning forward on her spindly legs until she was a mere foot from Fera, "Let us see how we're to break that, shall we?"

Fera lifted her head at this, confused and uncertain at the devious twist to the fembot's voice. She could feel her heart racing, beating against her ribcage as if it wanted to escape. She couldn't blame it.

She could only watch as Arachnid turned away from her and looked to Titanios and his brother, who were now standing by the door, while Platon waited just behind Arachnid. "Bekos, Titanios, retrieve our guest. You know where to find him." she ordered, beginning to back away from Fera. Platon took his leader's place and Fera tried keeping an apathetic expression while he stood just feet away. While the still settled on the room, Fera scanned down Platon's body, where she found a tool already in his hand. It was a small object, attached to the back of his fist, with a ghoulishly sharp knife protruding from the front. Its blade shone devilishly in the milky light of the room. God knew what he wanted to do with that.

It seemed like only seconds later when Titanios and Bekos arrived again. But in their return, they dragged between them a large, long array of conjoined parts that looked suspiciously like a Cybertronian body. They came through the door with this apparent being and Bekos gave a nod to Arachnid as he came past. The last of the body they carried skirted the inside of the door, and it shut tightly behind them. Together, they threw the mech to the ground, not seeming to care when his unresponsive form laid still against the unforgiving steel floor.

"Restrain him." Arachnid said next, causing the two mech brothers to start forward again. They grabbed the 'guest' and held him up by the wall, balancing him on his knees as they brought up his arms. They shackled him by his arms and didn't handle him with any gentleness when the restraints were locked. This new arrival now was left in the same position as they had placed Fera, leaving him to sit on the ground with his head hung lowly and his expression hidden.

Arachnid lifted a hand to dismiss Titanios and Bekos and they left without another word. Fera knitted her eyebrows, squinting against the lights above so to try recognizing this new figure. Arachnid slowly moved forward towards the trapped prisoner and lowered on her spider-like legs so to take the captured mech's head in her hand.

"It seems like using yourself as prize for cooperation does not reap awards for us." she visibly tightened her fingers against his chin and Fera noted the small grimace on his face. So he was awake and alive. Arachnid lifted the mech's face up, showing the battered and scratched plates there. Whatever paint left hanging pitifully on his armor shown as a bright array of orange, red, and yellow. Fera could barely see the fuzzy glow that was his optics through the dark, making him appear ever the more beaten. But in that soft echo of a strong gaze, Fera saw the blue brilliance that was his eye color. An Autobot? How?

"However, I have come to understand that your hoarding of information pertaining to our Autobot adversaries may suggest a different path of action. It appears you care for others more than your own life, so perhaps you shall feel differently about participating with us from now on." the fembot chuckled and held his chin higher, straining his neck in a way that made him wince again. The mech found Fera's eyes and they locked eye contact, sharing something between them that crossed on the lines of caution and scrutiny. The building numbness crawled over Fera's skin like the icy claws of the room's warmth-draining drafts. Her shoulders already hurt from hanging once again, while her wrists felt like they were being bitten into by thousands of tiny needles. A heavy weight in her heart welled painfully as she fought with herself about the fact that she was in deep, deep trouble.

"So to introduce him, this, Fera Lennox," Arachnid smiled wickedly and brought up one of her legs, slowly circling around the cracked Autobot emblem on the mech's chest almost appreciatively, "is Rodimus."

Rethalia sighed at the sight of her sparkmate lying peacefully on the berth, his chassis rising and falling evenly with each vent he took. He was set out on his side, one servo tucked beneath his helm while the other was carefully left to drape over the small figure before his mighty chassis. Liora's bright, electric blue optics were shuttered closed, and they flickered every so often in her recharge. She had her tiny servos tucked closely to her, their digits clamped onto her mech creator's large bracer.

The small sparkling seemed so at peace in Optimus' grasp and Rethalia couldn't help the small grin stretching across her lip plates as she crossed her arms and continued to watch over them from her spot nearby. They both held such relaxed looks, and Rethalia felt absolute love swell in her spark for them both as they seemed so natural in each other's presence. Liora was nearly covered from sight by her creator's bulky arm, yet even with her small peds hidden from view and her body blanketed in nothing but Cybertronian armor, she seemed content. The young one made a small noise and snuggled backwards further into Optimus' grasp.

Rethalia could feel them communicating through their bond, even though they were nestled in recharge. Their small brushes over one another seemed to be some form of secret loop they were sharing. Rethalia knew that Liora was probably sharing her memories with her mech creator, and she could positively say that she wanted nothing else for her sparkmate. He deserved this personal time with his creation, and Rethalia would make sure not to interrupt them. She let herself stay back from them in the bond, drawing away and dimming her connection with them so as to let them have their moment.

Everything just seemed so much more stressful over the past few earth days for herself and her sparkmate, and even more so now since Prowl had finally gotten the meeting he wished for the prior kalon. Already, he had a vague idea of a scheme of action from the pitiful amounts of information given to him for Fera's retrieval. Optimus had been fairly surprised and impressed with him, and so had Rethalia. However, she knew that they had quite the ways to go before any of them where to make a move.

Making sure not to disturb her resting family unit, Rethalia pressed the comlink communicator behind her audio receptor and she turned away to face the opposite wall. ~Rethalia Prime to SEAM headquarters.~ she peeked back over her shoulderbolt as she waited, watching silently as her sparkmate shifted unconsciously to nuzzle his faceplates closer to Liora. It was such a long-awaited and fantastic sight that she immediately saved it into the deepest reaches of her memory core. This was what she had wanted for the longest time- to see her sparkmate with their precious creation and hopefully later on, creations. Files of the long ago loss of her sparkling clutch in Praxus faintly passed her processor and she wondered if maybe this would have been what they would have experienced in their small life cycles. Apparently, even innocence wasn't salvaged by war.

~This is Greenlight, Rethalia Prime.~

Rethalia returned her gaze to before her and she knitted her optic ridges. ~Greenlight? Where is Wheeljack?~ she'd originally hoped to speak with the technician instead of the lesser experienced of the two, but one of them was better than none. Even if this situation was highly significant, and in need of a certain mech.

~Recharging. The poor dear's been overworking himself again, so I'm watching the office while he rests for a bit. What's it you need?~

~I was hoping you both had successfully determined where the Decepticon base is located.~ Rethalia backed up until she was resting against the berth, one arm wrapped around her midsection while the other tentatively reached up to wisp her digit tips across Optimus' cheekplate. He murmured something unintelligible and leaned into her soft touch, causing Liora to whimper and move impossibly closer to her creator. He must sense I'm here, Rethalia guessed, curling into the bond with her creation in an attempt to lull her back into recharge again. ~We are tracking the pattern of Decepticon activity and we have just recently been able to place a tracking program on one of the bugs in the main grids. It's the exact one trying to attain access into private lines.~ Greenlight continued, sounding almost somber. Rethalia was never one to pay much attention in her technologies and softwares classes back on Cybertron, but she knew that hacking into the communications waves was not a positive thing.

~What will that do for us?~ she asked, idly brushing her thumb digit across the curves of Optimus' faceplates. When the mech Prime moved past his hardened mask of war and allowed himself to fall into this beautiful vulnerability, Rethalia couldn't help but be close by to see this rare side of him. Other than recharge, he almost never showed this worriless expression. He looked so much younger in this position. ~We may be able to map out the path of the hack and locate the source of it, thus the Decepticon base. However,~ Rethalia vented a sigh at Greenlight's pause, ~they may find us before then, so we're taking a risk just placing a primitive beacon on it like we did. We're going to put a masking spyware on it as soon as Wheeljack's done recharging.~

~And we shall retrieve information on them without their knowing?~

~If everything goes to plan, yes. We were also able to get some tidbits of information leading to a break in Decepticon activity though.~ Rethalia hesitated with her servo on Optimus' helm and she paid full attention to Greenlight, her interest heightening, ~It seems they've been making quite a few trips to and from Earth. There's a series of communication patterns relayed back and forth between a few spots on the surface with the further reaches of the atmosphere. But once they're out of orbit, I can't trace them any longer.~

~Have you any idea where they are going?~

~No, but the bug we're tracking has been picking up fluctuations in comlink activity over the past joors. It's all pinpointing to one specific location outside of earthly orbit, so I can't yet figure it out. For all we know, it could be a Decepticon warship.~

"Rethalia?" Rethalia's cranial unit snapped down and she saw the intense blue that was her sparkmate's optics coming online. He was slowly returning to the world of the onlined, lifting himself up despite the complaining noise from Liora. Rethalia removed her servo from his faceplates and she instead took her sparkling into her arms, rocking the little one so to keep her in a state of recharge. "Is there something wrong? You seem uneasy." he asked groggily, wrapping one arm around her and Liora so to keep them near.

Was that really a question? When were they ever easy anymore? "I am speaking with Greenlight at the moment, and she has just informed me that Wheeljack and herself were successfully able to plant a tracking program on the Decepticon bug in the main grid." she let herself fall back into Optimus' grasp and she felt the relief taking over her spark. They were that much closer to not only finding Fera and the Stone, but the shard, and the main location of operation for the Decepticon faction. "It's a major break and it could lead us to them far quicker."

"Well I am glad to hear of that Rethalia." he moved one of his servos to lightly trace the tiny plates on Liora's arm. Her body was turned towards Rethalia's chassis, her audio receptor against the armoring there so to listen to Rethalia's beating spark. "Perhaps what Smokescreen suggested was an option?" Optimus went on, letting his mandible sit on the crook of her neck, "We might have the upper hand with a smaller group of fembots and mechs than a large recovery team."

Rethalia rolled her optics and thanked Greenlight before cutting her link with the fembot. "That's a strong point Optimus, but I have a sparkling to introduce and a unit to reunite with first. Ratchet is almost finished with Liora's frame, so my unit won't be doing anything for a stretch of time. This mission is mine and yours, so not many others would be able to come either."

"This is a dangerous task for a holding fembot Rethalia, I'm not sure you should go."

"Optimus Prime, I am just as capable as you at protecting our sparkling. Fighting was never a problem with her before, so it shouldn't be now."

"I wasn't with you before to warn you as I am now. Ratchet knows that the sparkling should have a youngling shell before you delve into anything truly physical."

"What of the ambush?"

"That was different."

"I don't care for the difference Optimus, I know, not think, know I am able to protect both myself and Liora." a small smile played on the lip plates of the fembot and she twisted her helm around to kiss the side of Optimus' temple. He turned to her and kissed her fully before she could move away. "You worry too much." she grinned against his lip plates and he chuckled softly for the first time since Fera's abduction. Rethalia quickly moved that process away before she succumbed to the sadness surrounding that young human's situation. However, she couldn't help but frown at it. Thankfully, she was able to hide her expression to her sparkmate, but he still brought up a comforting servo to cup her cheekplate. "I have heard that before."

Rethalia huffed and set her foreplate to his, "Well it's true." she said back, "Ratchet has had to mend you more times just for anxiety than anything else over these vorns. And don't think I shouldn't know of it because you don't show it around the others. I've noticed."

"Anxiety mostly over you." he shot back, releasing the air he vented in a warm wave over Rethalia. She shivered at the tingle that ran up her plating and she suddenly noted the chill of the room compared to her hulking sparkmate. "Well it doesn't suit you." she murmured, pressing herself back into his chassis, her sparkling clutched firmly in her arms. He hugged them both from behind and opened his lip plates to speak before dropping them in a frown. "Speak of Unicron," he lifted his faceplates and peered at the door, "we have an incoming medic."

Rethalia slacked into him, not bothering to place their creation back into her holding capsule. It was only the CMO, one who already had knowing of their small bundle. She didn't even flinch when the said mech came through the door, a metallic box in his servo. Optimus removed himself from behind her and he instead sat beside her, letting his arm touch hers. Rethalia continued to rock Liora as Ratchet set the box aside and stood back up with an expression that had Rethalia's CPU stalling in confusion. He looked mortally guilty.

Immediately suspicious, Rethalia handed off Liora to Optimus and she stood to face the yellowish-green medibot. "Ratchet...?" she trailed off questioningly, getting only a lack of optic contact as an answer for the first few sparkbeats. Instead of even looking at the fembot, he went to the metallic box and opened it, shifting around in for a moment before sighing and letting himself sag. "Nothing to worry about Rethalia, it's just..." he pulled something out and walked over, presenting it to them. It was a small piece of Cybertronian plating, colored a deep, sapphire blue. "I finished her youngling frame, but it seems we won't be the only to celebrate a sparkling's arrival to Earth."

It didn't take long for that comment to sit in, and Rethalia was growling before she could think of doing anything else. Ratchet was absolutely refusing to look at her, but he continued to hold out the piece of her sparkling's new frame as if it may help the situation at all. She could feel Optimus pushing the calm back into her spark and she quickly snapped off her irritable attitude and picked up a more Prime-like tone. "How many?" she demanded sternly, holding a steady stare on the mech despite his avoiding gaze.

"One."

Rethalia vented a long cycle of air and she walked up to the mech to place a servo on his shoulder. Truly, this was not as bad as she had expected. One Autobot? How horrible could that be? "One is better than all Ratchet. Who is it?" she asked, finally catching him by the optic. The mech still looked like he felt he was in trouble, but he opened his lip plates to answer anyway.

Before he could however, a small shape shot through the open door of the room and caught Rethalia's optic. the fembot was barely able to turn towards the sudden flash of mint-green before she was nearly tackled. Arms encircled her neck and held on tightly as a frame pressed to her hers in a powerful embrace. Rethalia stumbled back a step and her vents had all the air crushed from them. The only reason she didn't fall back was from the berth stopping her body before she could fall.

"Oh my Primus, why didn't you tell me?! You sneaky fexa, I should slap you silly! You could have told me, I would have understood. And poor Optimus, you kept that from him too?! What is wrong with you, you should have told us! When you tell Firestar, she's going to have your aft!" the babbling fembot loosened her grip and held Rethalia at arm's length.

"Moonracer-?"

"Where is it? Is it a mech or fembot? What's their designation? Did you see the new frame? Did you like it? I helped Ratchet pick the color, so I hope you like it! He did the details, but I think the sparkling will look fantastic. How about Optimus? Did he see it? Do you like it Optimus? Ratchet, show him the frame you made, it's beautiful, and-"

"Moonracer!"

The fembot removed her servos from Rethalia's shoulderbolts and she flicked her turquoise optics from Optimus to her, her expression surprised. It was a mystery how the fembot had the air enough to get out everything she'd just said. Rethalia walked around her flustered comrade and shut off the door before turning back to the gathered group. Everyone had grown quiet, including Moonracer, and Rethalia aimed her gaze to the medic of the room. She raised her optic ridges at him in a questioning look and he gave a sheepish grin. "She's a little overly energized from the pure-grade energon Inferno gave to her after her arrival to Earth. It's probably going to be this way for a while."

Moonracer took this opportunity to run back to Rethalia and take her servos in her own, dragging her back to the other two mechs. "There's so much you need to tell me! How did you hide it from us? We were with you all the time, so that's really weird. Anyway, you still haven't told me the name yet! Do you think I can hold it? How old is it? When should we tell the others? Can we do it soon? I want to see the look on their faceplates when you guys tell them!" she laughed and whipped around, almost hopping over to Optimus before she threw her arms around his neck and caused him to cough from her grip.

"I haven't seen you in so long Optimus! It's great to see you! How have you been? What do you think of Earth? It's really pretty here, but it's no Cybertron. The humans are so different from what I'd thought they'd be! Some are really nice, but there's this one that's a real aft and talks a lot, and he's really annoying. I think his name is Ben Kepler or something..." she trailed off and finally seemed to notice the wide awake sparkling in her mech creator's arms. She seemed curious at the new arrival, and was smiling with a look Rethalia knew was on edge of giggles. Moonracer reached down and puckered at the sparkling, googling over the young one like she was nothing short of precious. Which, by no doubt in Rethalia's processor, she was.

"Gosh Rethalia, she's got Optimus' optics."

Rethalia smirked, "That's exactly what I said."

Moonracer continued to gush over the small sparkling while Rethalia watched them silently. It was nice seeing her old friend again, especially now considering what had happened to her unit those few quartexes ago...

Crossing her arms over her chassis, Rethalia struggled to push away the painful lurches in her spark and enjoy the moment she was witnessing now. She had been so blessed to have bared offspring, so she should be capturing the fleeting moments as if her life cycle depended on it instead of dwelling on the past. Yet all she seemed able to process over was the loss of one more group of dear mechs and fembots that she wished she could have done so much more for.

"Optimus, Rethalia," somehow, she had missed Ratchet's approach and she jumped when she heard his voice over Moonracer's coos. He held a look of pure shock on his faceplates, with his optics wide and his tone awed. Rethalia froze where she stood, reaching for Optimus through their bond. He too was unsure. Moonracer hadn't moved, but she now held Liora in her arms, bouncing the sparkling gently as she watched the scene play out before her. Ratchet ran a servo over the top of his helm and he looked over those gathered before him.

"Solas Kaon is here."

Finally, he's here!

We're getting somewhere, but where does it go from here?

You'll have to wait until next week sadly

I love your guys' reviews, so please keep telling me what you think :)

*Chapter Inspiration- Stop And Stare=OneRepublic*