Thank you all for keeping up and allowing me to continue with OTSH

I really appreciate every visitor, review, and favorite/follow you all give me-

I couldn't ask for anything more :)

Along with this, I have finished my prequel for OTSH called Defection

I think you all would be easily able to figure out the main OC of the piece ;)

Anyway, I hope to hear from you guys on what you think, and that you keep reading :D

Enjoy!

Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 30

Twin beams of light ricocheted from the stark metallic grey of the walls, screaming harmlessly back off in fits of dying energy. Twisting, curling, bouts of smoke strangled the air, choking the clarity until it was but a hazy sheen of ashy vapor. Holographic forms darted about, diving between and around the variety of obstacles logged into their tactical programs. Bits of their fallen peers scattered about before fading to nothing, fizzling out as they were meant to do upon deactivation. The emitters that skated around the ground sputtered sparks at some points, a few of them shorting out after the third time of their use. One gave a prominent snap and literally fell in half on spot.

Long ago, scores of charred-black chunks had disappeared from the support columns, left to flail across the floor in a form of spotty stone droplets. Two sleek, quick silhouettes sprinted from one side of the dark to another, taking to the shadows as if it were a second layer to their bodies. The darker of the two, a black fembot, dipped low as another holographic figure took aim at her, sensing her movement and locking in on her location. Its weapon materialized, releasing a volley of lights that simply melted into the object the fembot hid behind, not a single flick of damage being taken. The fembot launched up, using her own rifle to let loose a single shot, hitting the hologram directly in the foreplate.

As the particles flew and the 'Decepticon' shattered from existence, other intangible soldiers took their place. A growl pierced the air, heavy with a thick dissatisfaction by the lack of pleasure she gained from expelling her target. Anger was seeping from every niche of her frame, adding to her aggravated movements as she jerked from one hologram to another, outlying a mental pattern of plausible action by the 'Con look-alikes. Thousands of paths saved into her files, making it a breeze to predict a hologram's position and then effectively destroy them on the spot. She snarled and swung her arm around, catching a sudden twitch in the corner of her optic. The blast from her rifle ended with yet another enemy down, but with only a marginal relief to her overwhelming frustrations.

Pressure was building inside her, causing her insides to twist and her emotions to run ramped. All this time, she had been able to hold her feelings in check. It was the most logical thing to do. She'd kept the most important of them online so to keep her sanity, locking the rest away so not as to alter her focus. But now, they were lashing out at her in revenge, expelling every byte of sense in her processor other than to fight. To fight and do so quite violently. A glimpse of her partner in the range passed the corner of her vision, his sly frame nearly golden in the dim lights of the fuzzy holograms.

A lust bubbled deep within the fembot's tanks, churning and seething into an inconceivable mass of fury and regret. Her plates were literally trembling now, caught up in her rage-induced state to care any longer for where she was or what she was doing. There was only one thought in her processor; one single, minute thing that she'd been forced to blow off and come to terms with since its occurrence: Arachnid.

That one simple designation caused the fembot to toss her weapon, throwing herself forward in a full-on charge against the line of assailants. Memories and coursing anger were all she could process at that moment. Nothing else seemed to matter at that time, allowing her to exterminate each and every one of the holograms in her path with a vicious strike from her dagger.

Her sister and her as younglings, playing alongside their creators in trips to Praxus or the Crystal City; Smiling faceplates that stretched so often that they hurt, turning into tank-busting laughter; Galefire and herself gaining their cyberling frames and the nervous joys of upgrading it caused them both; The turquoise fembot confiding in her sister for love advice as she found herself madly attracted to a mech in the scientific division...

The strikingly black fembot lunged at her victim, shredding a servo across the projection until it overloaded and crashed, leaving a helpless emitter in its wake. She grabbed that and crushed it in her digits, relishing the feel of actual metal crunching beneath her grasp...

Galefire and herself coming back to their domicile every kalon, asking the other about their shift as an archaeologist and tactical trainer; Parts of stories where the other would nudge their sibling and assure them through their sparkling bond of how there was always someone there for the other; Those kalons when neither would find the strength to make the late orn energon for the both of them and would simply sprawl on the bench of their living quarters, seeing who would fall into recharge first before finding them both under in mere joors; The news that their creators' lives had been taken...

The fembot screeched and tore through the gathering holoforms like a madbot, ripping through each in her range until her arms were burning. Even then however, she went on, expelling her episode on each and every poor hologram in her way. Every so often, she would pick up and emitter and tear it to pieces, only to move on in the next astrosecond. Her energon roared in her audios, her armor nearly vibrating with energy. Harsh wind coursed through her vents, trying desperately to cool her steadily rising temperature...

The sister she had dearly loved, dragging her to the side to beg her to come work with her as an archaeologist instead of partaking in the war; Wide, terrified optics staring into the distance as the news of the mines collapsing because of an unexpected bombing of the sight reached her audio receptors; The million and one questions racing among her processor about her sister's unexplained disappearances for orns at a time; Rage blinding both and causing splits of uncomfortable bitterness to enter their bond; A cold, treacherous feeling of betrayal from her sibling as the black fembot announced her allegiance with the Autobots; Even further sparkbreaking tragedy as the former archaeologist turned to Decepticon rogue...

An abrupt, vibrant light exploded in the dark, blinding the fembot for a few sparkbeats as she was forced to adjust her optics to the brighter atmosphere. After a few shutters of the optics, her flaring gaze snapped around her, glaring at each small black holoform emitter as they laid lifeless around her. The one in her servos trickled to the floor, bouncing in tiny fragments like broken glass. She whipped around, finding her mech counterpart standing by the controls to the range. An emotionless expression covered his handsome features, his usually aqua optics a deeper shade of electric-blue.

Fatigue marred every inch of her frame, her irritation waring on her more and more the longer she was kept from using up her pent-up ire. Turning away from her 'kills' she stalked up to Hawktail, her optics narrowed dangerously.

"Turn it back on." she demanded between pants. Hawktail's lip plates pressed into a hard line, his optic ridges lowering. A darker tone had edged into the fembot's voice, the very sound of it shocking even her. She was never like this. She was never supposed to stoop to such a level of battle-lust. But at the moment, she couldn't help it. She'd felt so at ease yanking each hologram limb from limb, watching as their pixels dissipated one by one. It was a sick form of pleasure she'd driven out of taking them out- one that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I can't do that Stratis. You're exerting yourself..." his voice reached its own shade of concern, his worry etching across his faceplates in far too unsettling a way. Stratis jerked away from the mech as he reached out towards her. It was at that moment that she saw a look of hurt come over him that struck her very spark. A livid haze was lingering inside of her, maybe being the muse for her cold interaction. "I don't care," she snarled, far more vicious than she had meant, "I need this Hawktail. Arachnid, she..." Stratis clenched her mandible and spun around, marching over to one of the columns and swiftly striking out at it, punching a jagged hole into the thick surface. Spikes of pain laced up her arm, but she ignored it, instead slowly sagging into the concrete. Her servos retracted and she placed them on the column, setting her foreplate there as well. Her oral sheets ground together, fighting back the scream bubbling within her. Honestly, how long could she keep this up?

Suddenly, all the strength seemed to drain away from her. She could feel herself sagging, using the pillar as support as she leaned against it. Her sister...her dear, dear sister Galefire. What happened to her? What happened to the sweet, loving fembot that she used to be? Where was Galefire's caring personality and her smile that would light any darkness? Keening softly, Stratis stabbed her digits into the column, if only to keep her kneebolts from buckling under her dead weight.

Dull thuds behind her signaled of Hawktail's approach. Too tired any longer to care, she allowed herself to be brought into his warm embrace, his strong grip pressing her firmly to him. She knew she was relying greatly on him for support, for if he was to let go for some reason, Stratis was sure she would have been on the ground, curled into a ball. "I can't feel her..." Stratis whispered hoarsely, locking her digits onto Hawktail's armor. Of course, for vorns now, Stratis had blocked her bond with her sister in a form of shield for herself against her sister's maniacal glee. It hurt like no other pain to not be able to reach out to her sibling- to seek comfort in her presence and get her through her hard times. But, they were whom they were, and it wouldn't be right to contact one another. Not after all they've done and been through.

"I know Stratis...I know..." Hawktail stroked her upper spinal support soothingly, reassuring the fembot he held through his touch. They'd had this conversation hundreds of times over already, with the same, repeated cycle of sadness and comfort exchanged between them every time. Stratis squeezed her optic slips closed, grabbing harder to his frame as another wave of phantom pain washed over her. "No matter the attempt I make, it appears I am unable to help you through your tribulation." Hawktail all but whispered.

"This is all my fault," Stratis felt the fluid stinging her optics, her helm shaking from side to side against his chassis, "Galefire is who she is because I abandoned her. I was a horrible sister, and now she is a...monster because of it."

"What warning were you to have that Arachnid would be who she is? That was not your doing, and the mere suggestion of it makes me doubt your mental stability." at his stern words, Stratis tucked in her lip plates, biting down on them as if they would help hold back the fear in her voice. Yes, fear. She was afraid of what her sister had become. She was afraid that she was the reason for this change. And she was afraid for the mortal wrongs she was planning to commit on poor Arcee. "Galefire felt I had betrayed her in joining the Autobots...was I wrong to submit to the war? Should I have remained a Neutral with her?"

"Of course not." Hawktail assured, pressing her to him for a split nanoclick, "You made the choice you felt was right, so therefore, I see no fault in your decision." Stratis wished she could take comfort in his words- she really did. However, it was difficult for her to do so considering her sister and lastly living legitimate family had fallen so hard. Her sister was so changed from before...what had set her off? What had been that trigger that had pit her, a once perfect fembot, against her own sister? It all pained Stratis so much to be away for so long without her sibling. There had been so much promise for her- a future that Stratis herself knew she could only fantasize to reach. As the grief at losing such a bright star in her life caused another wave of sickness to roll throughout her, Stratis held tighter onto Hawktail. He placed a digit beneath her mandible, lifting her faceplates to look at him, "You tried to contact her, didn't you?"

His voice was but a minor whisper, but it was more than enough to hit Stratis like the blunt blow of a hammer to her spark. He knew her so well. She snatched her faceplates away and dug the side of her helm into his chassis, hoping, praying that she wouldn't break down. "Yes," she murmured, weakly, "if there was some way...a minimal chance at best even...that she would listen to me and reconsider Arcee's entrapment..."

"I see." Hawktail laid his helm on hers, his tone low, "What was the outcome?"

"She didn't listen to a word I said."

"Perhaps she does not wish to reconsider, no matter whom it is she is being pled to."

Stratis winced and tried distracting herself by tracing random shapes on Hawktail's armor, her digit light and wispy as it trailed along the contours of his chassis plating. "I have become used to the fact that she no longer would wish for my company. However, there was a flicker inside her...I felt it-" Stratis choked on her words, her tears finally overflowing, "there was a moment I knew she was feeling pity towards Arcee, but then it was gone...Galefire was gone..."

"Arcee is strong, she can take care of herself."

"No, you don't understand her like I do Hawktail, she's...she's-" Stratis balled her servo into a fist, angered at herself now for her pitiful show before Hawktail. She swept the back of her servo across her faceplates, removing the trails of her tears. "She will not hesitate to severely wound Arcee to acquire what she desires. It makes me wonder if maybe...if maybe Arachnid is my sibling at all..." Stratis paused, waiting for Hawktail's reaction. When there was none, she continued, "We are so disconnected now; to the point where there are moments where I cannot sense her at all. Her spark has changed so much over these long vorns..."

"She is still your sister Stratis, nothing will ever change that."

The response that her frame gave her towards this statement was not one of happiness or relief. Instead, all Stratis could feel was stark, emotionless void that fizzled inside her spark, right where her bond was supposed to be. "No." Stratis suddenly snapped open her optics, their blue gaze burning a smothering flame, "Arachnid is not my sister." this hurt unlike any pain before, nearly crippling her with the realization. Things seemed in a better clarity when they were outright said than in her mind.

"Galefire is."

"Ok, now put your hand like this." Fera demonstrated what she wished for the mech before her to do, cupping her hands like the infamous Queen's Wave. Solas cooperated, raising his hand and copying her before glancing in her direction for approval. Fera grinned and nodded, "That's it. Now put them behind me, but not too close, otherwise it won't work." she wagged a finger at the 'Bot and he rolled his optics. Turning away, Fera strode over to one of Sol's legs, bending over to reach the black instrument casing there.

At the moment, the two comrades were using up their free time by simply giving one another company, now going into their second hour of interaction. Some time during this, Solas had mentioned Fera's musical talents and how she had promised him a show of them, but had yet to see them. It had been some time since Fera had picked up her fiddle, and she feared her skills might have rusted over since her last try almost six months ago. Pausing for a second, hovered over her open case, Fera stared at the work of slick wood and strings, taking in every curve and beautiful edge of its shape. Had time really passed so quickly? It still felt like yesterday when she had come face to face with a group of giant alien robots, one of them becoming her Guardian.

Oh how things had changed. It was actually interesting to see how far she'd come, starting out as a simple high school senior before being thrown into something from the deepest depths of her imagination. What would my life be like if this had never happened? She wondered, reaching down towards her violin. What if I'd never met Optimus, or Rethalia, or Bumblebee, or Sol, or any of the other Autobots? A sad pinch echoed in her heart at the thought of her life being so boring and normal. She wouldn't have made the friends she had now, and instead she'd be finding herself looking at collages and later on, a job. Just like every other American citizen across the country.

Without warning, Fera was suddenly nudged from behind, making her fall forward. Her eyes widened and she flung out her arms to catch herself, her topheavy weight pulling her down. Fera thankfully found Solas' leg armor in her hand and she grabbed onto it with both hands, catching herself before she landed flat out on her face. When her initial shock had faded, Fera snapped around, glaring up at Solas. The mech had both his hands still cupped, waiting for her to return to her spot between them. His face was aimed away, his eyes darting around absently in a fake innocence. Snorting at the mech, Fera found herself actually smiling at his playfulness. She wasn't even really that mad that he'd pushed her. It felt nice to see him attempting something other than being rude or secretive.

Fera took her violin and bow, proceeding to turn around to do her maintenance on them both so she could see if Sol wished to be mischievous again. She rosined her bow, careful to use slow, long strokes when she did so. When the screw was wound and the string taut, she drew it over the violin, nearly throwing the piece of wood away from her as a truly horrid sound came from it. Not only was it out of tune, but its lack of use was waring on the string quality.

"Is it meant to sound so awful?" Solas asked, cringing like his human peer at the noise. Fera shook her head, beginning to meddle with the pegs and readjust them. "No, but I should be able to fix it in a second..." she trailed off and hummed, crushing her chin rest between her jaw and shoulder, allowing her to bow the strings while turning the pegs. One by one, they each came into a better sound, and Fera sagged in relief. "There we go." she murmured under her breath as she tested each string one final time.

Violin in hand, Fera walked back to her spot between Sol's hands, lifting her instrument and thinking for a moment where her fingers were meant to land. Her memory resurfaced and she grinned, finally recognizing the spots and notes, the song playing out in her head like a clear bell. She knew it started out as piano, so she lessened her grip and took in a long breath, letting it out as a slow sigh as she lightly brought her bow across the strings. The sound was light and airy, followed closely by the next tone. And the next. And the next. The feel of the piece was based on a day in the forest, with its wondrous and gentle sounds swirling like the relaxing brushes of a warm breeze, or the caress of the sun's rays on skin.

Fera leaned into her strokes, letting her wrist loose as she allowed herself to fall into her performance. The song reached a newer climax, turning into a harsher, angrier series of churning gale force wind that tore at the swaying trees and swirled the pine-scented air. The waters crashed against the sides of the banks, spraying crystals across the air and lush carpet of grass. A once blue sky turned into a seething billow of blacks and greys. Fera drug her bow harder now, listening as her notes hit of off Sol's hands and magnified in volume. She'd wanted this to happen, so her music was to sound louder and fuller.

For a split second, Fera stole a glance up at Sol, finding him watching her avidly with an interested mask to his features. He was actually liking it. A newer feeling of confidence piped up inside Fera and she tensed her fingers, sounding off the next sequence in her song as the 'tornado' began tearing through the once peaceful forest. Groves of trees yanked from their roots and flew into the fray, dirt scattered like confetti in the air; water sloshed out of its stream; animals bounded away in stampedes of fear. Dangerous flurries of blasting air coursed from the funnel, whipping up chaos. But then, as if a switch had been turned, it all stopped.

The figurative tornado faded off and sank back into the sky- the trees slowed their waving. Water-soaked grass came at a still, gleaming brightly in the smallest ray of light. Fera's hand paused, mimicking nature's held breath. And then, a break in the clouds. The first tiny sliver of shining gold broke through the cloud cover, bathing the frayed area with a loving touch. Fera barely touched her bow on the string, dragging it along as if she were hesitant to play at all. A pure feeling of loss and grief mixed in with her notes, adding a darker edge to the beauty. All of the destruction, and through the pain of sorrow, timid creatures crawled from the shadows.

Even in this tragedy, a flower sprang from the mud, opening widely to receive the glory of the sun. The breeze returned, ruffling the fur of the animals and the mighty stag perched on the treeline, staring out into the slaughter of his home, but finding a hidden meaning of a new beginning somewhere in the mess.

Each note faded out before the next came- mirroring the last few beats of a dying heart. As the song came to an end, Fera stood stock still for a moment, relishing in the ringing lingers of her art. Solas' hands hadn't moved the entire time, and Fera couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. She had genuinely done something that made someone else happy. It was a great feeling, that was for sure.

"So?" she prompted, straightening. The 'Bot was still for a few seconds, simply staring at her with a look that was near confused. Concerned, Fera's grin fell and she dropped her arm, letting her violin hang by her side. "Sol?"

As if he'd been shocked, Solas jumped and blinked a few times, giving a sharp shake of his helm. "I have never heard that piece before." he noted, causing Fera to relax marginally. "That's because it's an original score I made." she explained, propping her end button on her hip and giving Sol a proud look, "I call it Bella Catastrofe. It's Italian for 'Beautiful Disaster'." Fera lifted her fiddle and began to study it, tracing her finger over the lines of the grain appreciatively. She could clearly remember the times when she would play for her mother, standing in the living room with the windows left wide open while her mother sat on the porch swing. Those had been the times that Fera had loved, and she still cherished them deeply. For around these times, her father would come home from deployment to spend his time off with his family. Of course, this had been when he was still alive.

"You looked as if you were in pain," Sol pointed out, finally pulling his hands back to set on his legs, which were splayed out as he remained seated on the floor, "but I couldn't feel anything through our bond. Was something wrong?"

Fera blinked, struck for a moment. Pained? Was I remembering dad? She thought sadly, her lips turning down into a frown. "No, Sol. I'm ok..." she trailed off, "It's just something that musicians do sometimes when they play. If they really feel a piece, they say it 'speaks' to them." she wound the hand holding her bow before her chest, acting like something was swelling inside of her, "When music is really good, it makes you feel different. And depending on the type of music, you can feel a variety of things from happy to sad."

A nod rocked the mech's head, "I understand. Music here on Earth is quite different from that on Cybertron. Perhaps being so small may have some benefits." Sol chuckled and Fera cocked an eyebrow at him, unsure of how to take his comment. "Um...ok?" she shook her head incredulously, giving her own short laugh. Maybe it was time she got to teaching Sol about how to hold a conversation with a human without insulting them. That didn't seem to be his strongpoint as of late.

As Fera began to fiddle with her instrument, she plucked a few strings to test out a few notes when Sol's voice picked up in unmistakable Cybertronian. "Yes, this is Solas Kaon." Sol said, bringing one hand to what Fera figured was his ear, "What is it?" the human standing before the warrior glanced up at him from her violin, taking in his near bored expression as he spoke with whoever was on the other side of their link. A few seconds had passed, with Sol nodding here and there, and Fera straining to understand the emotions playing out on his face, before he cupped a hand beside his mouth. "It's Red Alert," he murmured, as if he was trying to keep a secret, "he wants us to meet with him and the others in the main lobby."

"Well tell him we're busy." she responded, brushing off the Autobot's Security Director by returning nonchalantly to her fiddle. A large hand came by her and shoved her, almost knocking her off her feet. Once she regained herself, Fera shot Sol piercing set of narrowed eyes, only to be met with a coldly serious one from him. "It's the Diego Garcia team." he announced sternly, "They've come back."

All past irritation melted away at the mention of the returning team. That was all it took for Fera to drop her grouchy expression to exchange for one of shock and anticipation. Her violin slowly lowered to her hip while the hand that held her bow swung to a still. So many thoughts and screaming voices raced through her head at that moment, further confusing her as to what she was really feeling. So many things could have happened to the team while they were out of communication. There was no telling what the Autobots would come back with, and it was this fact that made the hair on the back of Fera's neck stand up. All those overactive visions of imagination bombarded Fera's mind, causing her heart to give a stuttering pump in the thought of something befalling the Diego Garcia group.

Rethalia wouldn't let anything happen, would she? She couldn't. She was Optimus' sparkmate, so there had to be some form of fight in her. She would have protected the others with her life. And she had said so herself multiple times, in multiple ways.

A rush of cool waves flooded around Fera's mind, sending icy chills through her fevered mind. Fingers of this new energy trickled down through her, starting from her heart, and spreading like a blooming flower. A single, long sigh escaped Fera as she felt another entity pushing his way through her. "Solas, I'm fine. I don't need you to reassure me every time I have a little anxiety fit." she rubbed her chest, massaging the area around her heart as she allowed the wintery breeze within her to settle down to a subtle hum. For a split second, she brushed the arch-shaped scar on her collarbone, sending another tingling shock up her fingertips.

"I didn't do anything Fera. We've been blocked from one another for the past joor." Sol gave her an odd look, making her hand freeze in place. Eyebrows burrowing, Fera averted her eyes and rubbed the core of the coldness inside her a few more times before dropping the arm. "Oh... Ok, well, let's get going." she murmured, just loud enough for Sol to hear. Fera moved to put away her violin, her mind distracted the entire time as she glided her hands around the case. If Sol hadn't been the one messing with her mind and using the bond, and she wasn't, then what could be going on? She came to a squat to reach everything better, one hand stalling by her heart as she felt a small stutter of uneasiness. Something didn't feel right. I'll go talk to Ratchet after I see everyone, she decided to herself as she finished putting everything away. There can't possibly be anything wrong...right?

Against her will, Solas opted to carry Fera out to the lobby in concern for her broken ankle. According to Doctor Shelby -and a very obstinate Fera-, her limb was healing pretty well, and she could possibly get out of the cast and into a brace by the end of the week. The quickness her bone was mending had caused Ratchet and the other members of the medical team to question her natural ability to heal, but it was brushed off almost as quickly as it had come to attention.

As the guarded and Guardian tread into the room, Fera was able to get Sol to set her down. It had taken a lot of poking, astral punching, and searing words, but it worked, and Fera was able to limp confidently on by herself. Sol stayed on her heels until they came to the middle of the floor, where Fera stopped to talk with a few of the soldiers. Her eyes traveled up to watch the mech as he walked away at a calm pace, approaching his own faction to converse with an obviously on-edge Optimus Prime.

In the group Fera had joined was her adoptive uncle Epps, James Marks, Sarah, Red Alert, and a few soldiers she'd met on base named Xander and Deen. They were simply talking amongst themselves for a good while before Fera found Deen coming towards her, a playful smile on his face. "That ankle feelin' any better?" he asked, nodding towards her leg. Fera shrugged, swinging her good leg from her spot sitting on some random crate she'd found nearby. "Better," she noted, lifting the injury and moving it from side to side, "is there a reason you're asking?" one eyebrow rose on her pale face, her almost unnaturally blue eyes flashing in an unsaid challenge.

"I heard Epps was teaching you self-defense," Deen grinned mischievously and took a step back into an open space, "I was wondering if you wanted to spar." his hands rose, his fingers motioning her forward tauntingly. Fera's mouth came up into a smile, her body already moving. A snort came from Epps, who was sitting against Red Alert on his own crate, one leg drawn up before him while the other hung down the side. His personal rifle was in parts between his legs, a greasy cloth in his hands. "She's a mean one Colton, I'd watch out." Fera grinned when Deen blew through his lips, waving a hand at Epps.

Sarah followed every move her daughter made, exhibiting that same anxious motherly concern that she always did nowadays. Fera and Deen circled one another mid-floor, gaining the interested glances of a few of the Autobots. Red Alert held Sarah in one hand, studying the two sparring humans with amusement. Bumblebee began to watch as well, with Sol not far behind. The black and red mech crossed his arms, filling their bond with a few pointers in close combat.

"Alright, you ready Missy?" Deen called, prepping his hands before him. Fera smirked and adjusted her steps to a more comfortable stride. A singe nod was all it took to get things started.

Deen charged first, preventing Fera from preparing herself against him. It stunned her for a moment to see him move so fast without warning, but she was out of it by the time Deen came close. Fera lifted her bum leg and launched herself forward by her good one, ramming into Deen's midsection before he could react. She knew it wouldn't hold the man for long, but it gave her another small heartbeat to think of her next move. Before she could however, Deen grabbed her and twisted her around behind him, bending her backwards against his knee. Her leg locked and her arms were pinned, leaving her in a surprised limpness against him. Deen chuckled, looking down on her in her vulnerable position.

A challenge roared in Fera's gaze, her limbs shaking with the fire building in her blood. Clicks and whirrs filled the air ever so often, signaling Bee's soft reactions to the fight. Fera was able to get herself free by rolling her arms and using them as momentum to flip herself backwards, her legs spreading through the air like a windmill. When she had landed, Fera jumped forward and twisted, throwing her hand by Deen's belt. Sere luck must have been on her side, for her fingers found their mark and she ended up back on her feet with a gun in her hand. Quicker than she should have been able to, Fera rose, her arm snapping up to stall right before Deen's face.

Everything at that moment froze into ice. Deen's face was nothing but a blanket of pure shock, his body language cautious. The two fighters were lower to the ground than Fera had originally thought, and she only realized this when she followed Deen to stand straighter. "My dad was the one who taught me how to fight." she intoned, her expression focused, "Epps was just my practice partner."

"Maybe you should put the gun down Fera." Deen said carefully, his hands lifting placatingly. Fera snorted and kept her position, simply waiting for the soldier to make his move against her. Multiple Autobots continued to spectate the building intensity with a neutral expression, only Bumblebee and Red Alert seeming to be completely struck with pure entertainment. A loud huff came from Epps' direction, catching a flicker from both Fera and Deen's attentions before coming back together.

Epps jerked his arm, snapping a piece in place on his weapon. He grabbed the barrel and inspected it before turning his head towards the pair, "The gun is on safety Sergeant." he set the rifle across his thigh as Deen's eyebrows screwed in, his hands lowering. Fera's mouth came up in an accomplished grin, her fingers already flipping the gun over to hand to its owner. Deen snatched the gun with a firm jaw, shooting Fera a look that screamed of his injured pride.

"Ok, ok you two, that's enough." Sarah slipped off of Red's hand to walk over to her daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for a quick squeeze, "Maybe we should just wait for the Diego Garcia team by talking. Like everyone else." she angled Fera away, leading her towards Epps and Red. Fera groaned and let her head fall back, her eyes rolling at her mother's show of protectiveness. "I'm fine mom, I can take care of myself." she muttered, half-afraid to say it any louder. If there was one person she was truly scared of, it would be her mother.

They had only come a few feet from the pair before activity started up from the Autobots. The noise was enough to get the group to look up at the Cybertronians, whom were each suddenly turned towards the front entrance. Little yellow Bumblebee shot up from where he was squatting, trotting over to his faction with a happy gait. "Here they come!" he announced excitedly. To any other human around her, Fera knew that these words from the scout would only sound like brief, shrill whistles and random noises. But to Fera, it was as clear a sentence as if Sarah had said it.

It was so odd to know that she could actually understand the Autobots- and so easily too. There was no telling how she actually felt about it, seeing as she hadn't ever experienced anything similar, thus giving her nothing to compare it to. As for the sound of their voices, she would say that it sounded as if two separate beings lived in the same shell. And along with their completely different voices, the pitches and tones were diverse as well. If maybe the humans of the base were able to understand the Cybertronians and their near scary resemblances between their species, then things wouldn't be so awkward around the base. Fera -by some unknown mutation- could understand the Cybertronian language, and was connected to one as well. How much closer could you get?

"Look." Sarah nudged Fera's shoulder as the roars of engines flooded the room with sound. Ringing snarls reverberated from the stone grey walls, intensifying with each high-powered vehicle crawling across the floor. At the head of the group was the Prime herself, Rethalia, rumbling along in her Citroen Survolt vehicle mode. Next was Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, both twins in their more recent alternate modes as gold and red Lamborghini Diablos. Afterward, Hound made an appearance as a Mitsubishi J59, along with Smokescreen's Nissan GTR model. Mirage and Rainwing glided in as well, clad as a Ferrari 458 Italia and a B-2 Spirit. Bringing up the rear of the group was Ultra Magnus, transformed as a Freightliner Argosy.

The members of the group entered with a slow, heavy pace, as if they loathed bringing themselves into the room. It only took a single look at the travelers for Fera's heart and smile to drop, while the uncertainty frothed in her stomach. Things didn't get any better when Bumblebee practically ran forward, meeting his comrades mid-floor as they began their transformations. Fera pulled away from her mother, taking a few steps forward as she felt the woman's questioning gaze scorching her back.

Bee came up to face Rethalia, his body bobbing from side to side as he searched for something. The look on her face was grim and guarded, showing no sign of glee to be reunited with her faction and sparkmate. "Where's Arcee?" Bee questioned, his voice light and curious. This was when Rethalia's gaze dropped and her expression became strained. Fera understood immediately what was to come out of that fembot's mouth, but she denied it until she could hear it for herself. Walking on, Fera felt her throat close up as she watched each of the Diego Garcia team peel off to drift in their own directions. A mix of anger, fatigue, and sadness wafted off of them as Fera passed by, and she feared she maybe crushed from the sere weight of it all.

"Arcee..." Rethalia murmured, seeming to gain the confidence to look Bumblebee in the eye again, "Bumblebee, Arcee was taken hostage by the Decepticons."

Every breath, every body, every heart simply stopped at those words. Rethalia let her eyes part from Bee's as quickly as they had locked, while the smaller mech before her went frigid as ice. Fera was no longer moving an inch, too shocked to blink. Air was stock-still, with each passing second causing the temperature to drop a little more. It was as if the world had turned into a real-life picture. The occupants of the room were but members of a picture still.

The first to move was Optimus Prime, his steps incredibly loud in the quiet. The air threatened to shatter under each stride, bringing the statuesque figures of the room back to life. He came upon his mate and peer with an expression of disbelief and concern, his eyes searching for Rethalia's. "Is this true?" he murmured, his words almost too quiet to hear from this distance, "Arcee is in Decepticon hold?"

"Yes." Rethalia's voice was choked. The sound broke like the brittle snowflakes outside. Fera felt her shoulders drooping and her fingers going numb. An uncontrollable barrage of her memories with the Decepticons bombarded her mind. The burning touches; the feel of her skin being slowly slit apart to reveal her innards; the mind games sunken into her brain of her impending death and impossible rescue; each breath of sick laughter that felt like a orange-hot poker to her hope; the tears pouring from her eyes as her body twisted and curled in agonizing pain to the torture; those brief moments when she was so sure she was going to die at their hands...

Bumblebee turned away from them both, fully flashing his frozen stupor to Fera. It took her breath away to see the drain in the usually energetic Autobot, and it only got worse as he trudged towards the door, showing no sense of comprehension as his leaders spoke. "She sacrificed herself for our freedom." Rethalia raised her hands, staring down on them as if she'd done something horrible with them, "The Decepticons wanted an Autobot whom had interacted with Fera, undoubtedly for information. She had disobeyed me and left before I or anyone else could stop her." her head shook as Optimus set a hand on her shoulder.

As they continued their conversation, Fera averted her attention to the departing Bumblebee. If the Primes were speaking loud enough to hear or not, she didn't care, for she was already starting after the yellow Guardian. Optimus made a move to start forward as well, but Fera put up a hand to stop him, "I got him." she announced, ignoring the mech as she hobbled after the heartbroken one already halfway across the meadow. The snow and wind was ridiculous as she hurried along, slowing her already slurred speed.

By the time she reached the distant tree line, she couldn't feel the tips of her fingers, her feet, nose, or ears. Rubbing her arms did nothing against the unforgiving chill, and her skin remained covered in goosebumps. She stepped into the darkness of the shadows, allowing herself to break through the new layers of snow. Speckled moonlight bled through the tree branches, covering the ground in a blanket of dotted grey. Despite the cold, Fera could feel her thighs burn in effort and her muscles shivering against the wind. A piercing breeze hit her, causing her to shake more violently.

Minutes felt like hours as they passed, with Fera's teeth chattering from the moment she entered the grove. The trunks of the trees held small notches and crevices that looked like phantoms from the corner of the eye. Ruffling branches and whistling air made her feel slightly anxious about the creepy nature of it all. Still, she shuffled on. Cold didn't effect her. Winter was only a feeling. Fera dropped her arms, determination filling her. However, not a second later, a gushing cold washed over her, forcing her to shrink her head into her shoulders and hold her twitching arms. Ok, maybe it did effect her.

But she wasn't out here for herself, she was out here for Bumblebee. And speak of the Devil, the first thing she was able to see as she brought herself out of the trees was a single yellow figure seated out by the bank of the river. Moonlight filtered down on his bright armor, causing him to shine like a ray from the sun. Pearly-white snow remained shoved aside as he sat, leaving a messy burrow around his folded legs. She couldn't see his face, but she noticed his head as it tilted back towards the moon. His wide eyes were like dishes as they stared up at the orbiting rock, his expression unreadable.

Fera shrugged off her shaking and gave a quick jerk to prepare herself for moving on. It didn't take her long to come within a few yards of the 'Bot, but when she did, she couldn't help but slow her stride. Quiet whispers of music were trickling from the young mech's speakers, the volume low and soft. But as Fera came nearer and nearer, she could just make out the familiar words and tune. Bee lowered his face as she came within a yard of him, his arm lifting from his lap. A single finger came down into the fluffy white stuff around him, beginning to trace long, graceful swoops in the surface. The gentleness in his strokes echoed the achingly appropriate song he played.

"I know you're somewhere out there, somewhere far away.

I want you back,

I want you back.

My neighbors think I'm crazy,

but they don't understand.

You're all I have.

You're all I have."

Fera carefully came closer, afraid to interrupt him as he continued to create what looked to be a series of strange characters in the snow. Staring at them now, Fera guessed them to be some form of language. Maybe it was Cybertronian. Bumblebee's song paused and he sighed, sending a warm rush of air across the ground. A part of it reached Fera, making her tremble with the abrupt, but certainly welcomed, heat.

"At night when the stars light up my room,

I sit by myself.

Talking to the moon,

trying to get to You.

In hopes you're on the other side,

talkin' to me too."

At these heartbreaking words, Fera shook her head slowly from side to side, no longer caring if the Guardian noticed her or not. Bee finished tracing a single line of glyphs and rested that hand on his knee, staring at the symbols carefully.

"Or am I a fool,

who sits alone,

talkin' to the moon?"

A single hand came out and touched his knee, laying on the strikingly warm metal when the rest of her body was so cold. A flinch came from the 'Bot that made it look like she'd hit him, Fera's hand instinctively slipping from his leg. When he realized who she was, he relaxed and allowed her to place her hand back. There was a tense edge to his posture, as if he were apprehensive to be in her company. Fera followed the mech's lead as he gazed back down on his line of Cybertronian, his finger retracing the glyphs one by one. "Oh Bee..." Fera sighed, watching him as he moved. "That's Arcee's name isn't it?"

Of course, she didn't expect a solid answer, considering the mech couldn't talk, so she looked up at his face, waiting for some sign of confirmation or denial. For about a minute or so, the silence stretched on, with Bee giving her no answer as he brushed the side of his finger down the side of the Cybertronian.

"Yes, it is."

Fera blinked, not quite sure she was hearing things correctly. There was no static or crackling in this simple sentence, nor was there a hint of stress. It was a flowing, strong string of words without the use of the radio. Things were strange at the moment, considering Fera could somehow understand Cybertronian, and was connected to an alien. And now Bee was talking too? "You can talk now." she noted, more as a statement than question. Bumblebee didn't speak again, though Fera secretly wished he would. His voice was so different, so new, and she thought about how nice it sounded. There was an electronic wisp braided into it, but other than that, it sounded perfect for him. "I wished to surprise Arcee when she had returned, but..." he didn't seem willing -or maybe able- to continue.

"Those 'Cons don't know what they've done..." Fera balled her hand into a fist to fight down another shiver sneaking up her spine, "If I can make it, then Arcee can too. How can she not when she has someone like you waiting for her?" at this, Bee swept his gaze to her, those big blue eyes showing nothing but hope and a want to believe. He swept her into his hand and held her close, sharing his body heat when he noticed her twitching muscles. Fera latched on instantly, locking her hands to his armor as if it was the only thing keeping her in this world. "It is difficult not to believe your words Fera," he said, angling his face back towards the sky, "for I want to so very badly. Arcee means the worlds to me..."

"My dad was the same...it was hard to lose him." Fera responded softly. Her comment was met by quiet, their break in conversation allowing one another to delve in their thoughts. Fera suddenly sat up, startling Bee, "You can't get her back alone. Let's go back with the others..." she trailed off, bringing herself back to Bee as an uncontrollable spasm shook her chilly body "We could convince them to... get a rescue team out there..." Bee held her closer, gazing down on her with a concerned expression. "I must get you to Ratchet, there's something wrong." he swiftly stood, jarring Fera roughly. Fera tried to speak, but her teeth were rattling so harshly that she could only stutter a pathetic "N-n-no" before her body instinctively drank in Bumblebee's offered heat by locking up. Her faintly blue lips opened and closed over and over, but they released no noise.

A fearful spike ran through her stomach at Bee's comment and she grabbed onto him tighter when a renewed series of jerks wracked her limbs. What could he possibly mean? What was wrong? This wasn't another fit, for she knew the signs of that already. No, this was deeper. A coursing, feral barrage of wintery cold stabbing down to her spine before blooming outward throughout her flesh. She could feel Bee moving, but all she could think about was how disappointed she was in herself for ignoring the medic and going out into the weather after the mech who now held her. Voices blurred by her ears and the lights warmed her enough for her to relax into Bumblebee's body. But as her body began to shift, a sharp pinch in her neck caused her to give a single gasp of surprise before falling into a spiraling black hole.

Fera's doctors really like to put her under, don't they?

And poor Bee, losing Arcee like that :(

The 'Bots have really got a lot on there hands at the moment...

Beside that-

The contest is still open and is accepting entries until the last chapter of OTSH Part 1 is submitted to the FF site

Show me what you all can do, and you could win a personal FF, an OC entered into OTSH Part 2, or a Gimp background of your favorite TF character!

Just inbox me that you are interested and that you have a piece, and I will give you my email made specifically for this contest.

Thanks for participating! :D

*Bumblebee's song/Chapter Inspiration: Talking To The Moon= Bruno Mars*