Let me just say first:

I'm sorry for the late post, I was busy with everything that is the joy of life :P

But beside my little introduction to the wonders of high school honors classes...

We've seen a lot happen recently in the last few chapters, huh?

Megs is back, as the almighty G1 Galvatron of course :D

And Fera and Sol are getting a little deeper about their relationship.

Interesting things to come for our OTSH Part 1 finale in the next few chapters,

I'm so excited!

By the way, your guys' comments on my piece make my day every time I read them. It really is a joy when I see the positive feedback given towards my first major FF. I want to take the opportunity to thank each a every one of you for the constant support, and the wonderful notes of love you've given me.

Makes me wanna cry :')

Enjoy!

Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 46

"Tell me again why you drug me out of my bed at five in the morning, my future ex-buddy?"

"If I was to tell you, then you would not have cooperated as easily."

"It wasn't my choice anyway, you basically threw me over your shoulder to get me out of there." a very agitated, and very tired female human mumbled half to herself as she followed the figure of Colonel James Marks down the halls of the base. A variety of random people around the space were milling along, bustling around for their duties, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. As if it weren't the crack of dawn. They seemed like they had no care, which annoyed her further, and waned her patience anytime someone called out her name in greeting way too cheerily. She'd much rather have been lying in her bed, caught up in the warm cocoon of her blankets than be here in the cold expanse of the hallways.

Solas' room had become a sort of safety fort for her, and some place she could always go to feel more secure. Though his room was four walls of concrete and hunks of metallic furniture, it was the coziest place on Earth in her mind. There were times where the sparse space became lonely without any being there throughout the wee hours of the night, but really, where other would she wish to be?

Her mother could never understand her nightmares, or the things she'd been put through with the Decepticons, nor could she truly get any longer that Fera was no china doll to be put in a titanium steel bunker. It was funny to see how much one of the last trusted people of her life had become one to fade in with the rest. She would always be her caring, compassionate mother of course, but maybe...maybe the dependence she relied on her with was dwindling.

Fera cleared her throat and rubbed her upper arm, receiving another chill from the drafty area. We lost contact only a few days ago...she thought to herself softly, her eyes stalling on the floor as she silently trailed James. So why do I feel like I haven't seen him in a year?

Ever since Solas and his team had reached the limits of comlink communication, Fera had kept up a series of brief messages between herself and her Guardian if the result of an emergency arose. However, recently, she'd lost contact altogether. Not speaking with the mech would have been an easy task she'd thought at first. However, she was quickly learning that it took a whole lot more to cease her nightmares then a few well-placed touches from their bond. How long had it been since Fera had basically had her mind to herself? When was the last time she had held a one-sided thought train and not have had Solas there to interrupt her when they got too dark and confusing?

"Maybe afterwards I can get you a congratulatory doughnut for being such a trooper." James called from over his shoulder, his neck stretching the long silver scar decorating the surface. Fera frowned and lifted her eyes, not quite up for the chance to dine on some sugary rings of fried dough. Not many times before had Fera dared turn down the chance for free fatty foods, but today did not seem like the day. James turned towards her when she remained quiet, stopping the both of them from moving on. A confused expression crossed his face as he ducked lower. His eyes fought to find her own, but Fera kept hers down so as not to cross paths.

Finally his hand came up and he popped her chin gently with his finger to lift her face towards his, forcing her to look at him Fera jerked her head away, adamant on keeping her thoughts to herself. James huffed and gave a smirk, raising a hand to place on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're ok Fera? It's not often I can talk with you without you making some smart ass remark back at me." his grin fell when Fera continued to stare off, still quiet.

It was hard for her to admit that she could barely think clearly at the moment, and she hated that she was allowing herself to show this feeling so easily. No matter what, Fera would always be a stubborn character. She'd been that way her entire life. From her times as child, she'd annoyed her mother and father to their limits with her obstinate and head-strong behavior. But she wasn't the only one in the family to get on her mother's nerves. Like father like daughter she supposed.

James squeezed her shoulder and Fera winced, knowing that saying nothing to this man would be worse than saying anything. As nice and tolerable as James was compared to some of those around base, Fera knew he would literally grab her by the ear and haul her all the way to Doctor Shelby for a checkup. What a better thing to do would be to simply divert his attention and assure him that she was fine. Well, as fine as she could be with a busted ankle and a lack of proper sleep.

"Listen," Fera plastered a fake grin on her face and she lifted a hand, removing James' and laying her own on his shoulder, "you know how I am in the morning James: grumpy and distant. If I tell you exactly what's wrong with me at this moment, I may very well punch you in the throat." when she said this, the colonel backed up a few steps, his hands rose in a placating pose. This statement wasn't even a complete lie to the man. Fera was not a morning person, so she would be the one to say so before she caused unintentional damage. And it seemed as if James believed her cover-up, for he didn't push her for anything else.

Time moved as a blur when Fera moved, and she couldn't comprehend the journey from where things had begun to their checkpoint now. All she remembered was that she was lying in Solas' room, her nest of warmth and comfort wrapped around her body, when the lights had come on. Then James had appeared from who-knows-where, saying things that made her annoyed for some reason. Why had she left the one place where she'd finally been able to rest peacefully at? And along with that, why had she done so in order for her to do something she obviously didn't want to do?

The air sent a wave of stale drafts over her body when she went along with James into a part of the base where she had never been before. No amount of milky, artificial lighting above them could take away from the shadows lurking in the corners, or the claustrophobic buzz she got up her spine from the confined walls. It had been awhile since she had traveled in a smaller area, and it was making her nervous. The closeness of the concrete bled a chilling sense of indifference as she walked behind James. Those continuous stone floors sent echoing claps across the still as Fera moved, causing another shiver to lift the hair on her neck.

Indented squares had been taken out of the surfaces of grey every so many feet along the hallway wall. Inside that frame was a bolted metal sign that bore the Autobot and government ally symbols throughout the years. First, it had been N.E.S.T, with the first few years' men -including Fera's father- had worn on their chests while in the line of duty. The next few were of the branches that had split off from N.E.S.T, being the wings of L.E.G.I.O.N, H.O.P.E., and P.R.I.M.E.

Fera wasn't sure what these stood for, and she wasn't quite knowing what went along in them either. The most recent of the emblems was of course P.R.I.M.E, which had finished the line of the four once and for all. Different groups under these emblems remain stationed around the country, and from what Fera was told, the attack on the base in California had been on the group under the L.E.G.I.O.N group of the Autobot faction. Their joining the P.R.I.M.E team here in Washington D.C had grown the group to a size that was barely able to fit within the bounds of the building. However, rumors had spread that Wheeljack and Greenlight were going to rejoin Optimus and the others while Ultra Magnus, the Fabials, and a few extra 'Bots were going to travel back to Saint Louis to house the base there.

Pausing at the H.O.P.E emblem, Fera hugged herself and fought back the worry building with her. She prayed that Decepticon activity wouldn't continue around the city and threaten the safety of the commander and his group during their move like it had when they'd been in California. And to add to the grim, hadn't H.O.P.E been the wing that had lost the most members during the attack on the N.E.S.T facility those many years ago? And to think...Fera's father had become sick right after all that chaos...

She couldn't help but sink into the grip of the floor. Memories of his time in the hospital arose in Fera's mind, and she fought to push them away. An empty stomach churned while the tears stabbed at her sensitive eyes. So many times had she been able to simply force her memories to yield, and yet, she couldn't do so now. Solas tried to help, but Fera didn't respond to his attempts as her nails dug into her sides and wrinkling her clothes with the pressure. Loops of that time replayed like a sick movie: The endless nights of no sleep; hearing his pained moans and gargling coughs as he fought for his next breath; the way his hands closed over hers as she held the necklace he was giving to her, his expression displaying all the wisdom of his gruesome fate; seeing that coffin surrounded by all his family and brothers or sisters in arms...

And for the action of her distraction, she jumped when James set a hand between her shoulder blades, knocking her from her statue-like state. She twisted around, the oxygen caught in her throat. James was standing behind her, his eyes focused solely on the emblem. They narrowed in anger, his thicker fingers squeezing tightly on her shoulder. "I don't see why they keep this up here." he said, his voice laced with a growl, "There's too much failure connected with it to possibly be respectful."

For a moment, the teen before him lost her voice. A lump collected in her throat and pained her to the point where she could barely take in air properly. Her chest was constricting, not from blocking her bond with Solas, which was actually wide open and receiving support, but because of the emotional toll knitted in with the layers of metal. "Maybe it's better..." she murmured, crossing her arms loosely over her upper stomach, "It helps us remember. No, it forces us to remember." her lips rolled inward, her teeth biting tightly down on them until she tasted the coppery tint of blood. Reluctantly, she gathered herself and released a long sigh, one that shuddered considerably in her grief. "It tells us that we can never make that mistake again."

As a companion should, James tried to respectfully comfort Fera as much as he could, rubbing her back gently as he nodded gravely. His features said it all, and Fera needn't look back at him to know that he felt the same as she. The colonel couldn't have been at his rank during the time of the H.O.P.E attack in twenty-nineteen, nor could he have even been apart of the entire allegiance cause until later. But her father had. And she'd lost him because of it.

"Alright, let's go. They're waiting for us." James urged softly, pressing lightly on her back to guide her. Fera nodded and tore herself away from the spot to begin forward again. The question biting at her was who it could be waiting for them, but she held back, too caught up in the past to worry about the present. However, her feet, heavy as lead, carried her onward to the farthest reach of the hall where a thick metal door awaited them. There was nothing special about it, nor was there any indication that they were somewhere important, but, as Fera had come to learn, the most valued places were the unmarked and seemingly pointless ones.

James moved around her and pressed in a series of numbers into the keypad attached to the frame. A small bulb on the crest of the machine blinked red twice before giving a shrill beep and allowing the heavy sheet to pop open. Air hissed from inside and attacked Fera's body, ruffling her clothes and dowsing her in a drop that shattered her morning fog instantly. Short trembles rattled her body, and she ran her hands up and down her arms as fast as she could to heat them up. James merely stepped aside, holding open the entrance for her to enter through. Just a single glance at the colonel was all she needed to know that this wouldn't be a fun time. There was practically an apology already screaming from his green eyes.

A sigh escaped her lips as she started forward, hesitant on entering. Who could be here? Why were they here? Is this a trap? she suddenly thought to herself, stopping dead in the doorway. James moved in alongside her, forcing her to come further inside before he turned around and firmly shut the barrier behind them. No going back now, she assumed. With a definite click from the lock, Fera blinked, taking in the darker light of the room.

Monitors and screens lined the walls, hanging freely, or set up by various shelves bolted against the darkly painted concrete. Long, curving control panels sat beneath the bulk of the machines, with a few located mid-floor. Following the cut of the wall, Fera clenched her jaw and found a railing wrapped around a shallow upper level only two steps higher than the rest of the floor. A round table stood solely in the center, with a smaller, highly active visual supervisor protruding from the higher section of the wall. Various people Fera had never seen before moved about in their own worlds, caught in stacks of paperwork and clipboards, or stuck on the cell phone with other unknown persons.

Barrages of chatter and confusing talk floated about, switching from one worker on the computers to the next by the far right side. If not for the size and the general feel of the space, Fera would say that this room was similar to the one in Saint Louis. "They like to keep things simple, don't they?" she spoke absentmindedly, her eyes scanning over the expanse once again. James chuckled, walking past towards the higher level with Fera right on his heels. Never before had she had such difficulty walking across a room. People were bumping into her, wires tangled in her feet, chairs abruptly shot out of nowhere as analysts and computer techies shot up from their seats. The list went on and on.

But, when she did make it, she knew her calf was bruised, her hand struck by the corner of a table, and her foot rammed into by a stray chair leg. This was not a fun day.

And as she peered up, searching through the mass of more humans hurrying around the smaller round of the fenced-in higher level, Fera knew it was about to get way, way worse.

"Secretary Kepler."

The snarl in her voice was loud enough to be heard by quite a few around her, including the secretary himself. Kepler was standing by the table in the middle of the level, his body surrounded by fellow peers while a few documents of paper remain grasped in his hand. The peppering gray in his raven-black hair shone in the deeper dim, while his annoyingly beady bluish-green eyes glittered with a disgusting tint. If she compared it to anything, it would be the nasty river moss stuck to the bottom of her grandfather's boat when he'd pull it out of the water every fall. Stringy, pea-green, slimy, stinking, putrid, nasty, skin-crawling-

"Ah, Miss Lennox, you're finally here." the secretary waved away those around him and they swiftly left, their legs unable to carry them fast enough. He would even go one step further and dismiss those within ten feet of the edge of the stairs, his comments sharp and borderline on rude. When they too had gone, he turned back to Fera and James, his hands clasped together. "Now, may I ask how you've been recently Miss Lennox?" was he kidding? "I understand you've had some issues lately concerning you-"

"If you do not have a legitimate reason for my being here, secretary, I suggest you let me leave here before I make a very stupid, and very brash decision against you." she ground out before the man could finish. Secretary Kepler rounded his face to her, his features surprised. Marks simply set a hand on her shoulder, maybe preparing to hold her back if need be. Kepler stopped by his new position back by the head of the table, his body facing theirs. "Now, speaking to me of that manner is highly unnecessary. Along with so, may I remind you of who I a-"

"I am now of legal age in this country, therefore I am a citizen, correct? So, I have the legal right of freedom of speech, which allows me the ability to criticize those I do not particularly enjoy speaking with."

"You are under my branch of jurisdiction, therefore you will not threaten-"

"I am currently under Autobot jurisdiction Secretary, not your own. The Autobots have their own form of policy now in our government, do they not? So hence, my position is with them, and I will take order from no one but them. I trust them. Not you."

For all they knew, Fera could very well be higher than the president at the moment. She held in her power, the last chance for resurrection of an entire alien race. And since they held some form of say in the national government now, Fera was free to be apart of that and perform by their rules. Secretary Kepler had no power over her. And he certainly held no power over the Autobots. He was merely the babysitter.

He must have known this, for his face became bright red as he pivoted at her, his hands clenching and his jaw tightening. Fera knew he wished to have a few choice words with her, and she dared him to say them with the narrowing of her eyes. The challenge was clear as if it had been outright said, but sadly, the secretary refrained, and he released his tension with a single, hot breath. Aw, and she was looking forward to another fight.

Secretary Kepler gestured towards awaiting seats sitting around the table, already heading to them himself with his eyes stubbornly averted from Fera's. The teen obliged his silent request and found her own chair, but as she slipped atop, she noticed James decided to stand sentinel behind her left shoulder. His presence was welcomed, more so for Secretary Kepler's own safety than Fera's, seeing as if he was to make one inappropriate comment... Well Fera was never one known for her patience, was she?

"Now, if you are willing to move past this childish beginning we have set on the table, I assume you are prepared to move on to why I've called you here?" Kepler tented his fingers against his lips. The man looked as though he wanted to say more, but there was something that stopped him. Maybe it was James standing right behind her, or maybe it was the death stare she was sending him herself. Either way, the Secretary didn't immediately speak again and those eyes that Fera hated so much darted away to stare at the distant wall.

Finding herself in the upper hand, Fera folded her arms over the table, suddenly a whole lot less upset. Solas' essence intertwined with her own took effect on her confidence and she felt herself relaxing into his contact. Though they could not speak, they could keep touch through a way only they could. Solas went after their better memories, forcing them towards her so to put her through a better mood. However, when she focused on the image of Secretary Kepler sitting before her in all his awful glory, she could almost hear him growl. The good memories dropped and switched with all the scorching darkness they both felt at the sight of the wretched man. It put a grin on her face to know that she wasn't the only one to feel the way she did.

Secretary Kepler finally aimed his eyes towards her own, locking them together once more and knocking the smirk from her face. "Maybe." she agreed.

"Good. Perhaps we may discuss the issues I and my peers have come to notice as of late." Kepler shifted to pick up a few papers across the table, then pushing them to Fera after catching them. Fera gave him an odd look and lifted the papers from the table, scanning them over. "I'm not quite sure what this is asking of me Secretary." she commented after a moment, peering over the obvious contract suspiciously. Kepler held his hands on the tabletop, his expression clear of any emotion. "It is a contract, Miss Lennox." he intoned in a practiced manner.

"Stating?"

"That your involvement with the allied extraterrestrial beings will not offer any malevolence towards your country or its government. Also," he paused, raising a finger, "your cooperation with our cause will be just and appropriate." yes, this was definitely preplanned.

"You're asking me, of all people, to cooperate with you? And I'm not sure I trust you when you when you say 'just and appropriate'." Fera flicked her wrist, slinging the papers back down on the table, "Believe me when I tell you, the Autobots have taught me well enough to spot snakes like you in the grass. I'm not signing a single damned paper you give me." her finger stabbed down at the white sheets with a dull thunk.

Secretary Kepler didn't seem as though he was impressed by her words, and he leant forward, trapping his arms beneath him as he bore his eyes into her own. A deep frown marred his tanned face, while the aura wafting from him was nothing short of annoyed. "We are not stupid, Miss Lennox." he began, raising an arm to the papers and using a single finger to sweep them back to before Fera, "We know there is war coming, and my superiors feel as though this may very well be worse than Chicago those years ago. We need to be prepared. And that means information." he drew his arm back, "Information on strategy, on weaponry, on anything remotely necessary to protect this country from the impending enemy."

"No, you want me to spy on my friends- my family, to learn about their weapons of mass destruction. You want them for the reserves so that after the big bang, and everyone's settled, and America's the hero again, you'll want to make a statement." Fera narrowed her eyes, coming up herself to lean even further across the tabletop than Kepler, "You want war. You thirst for it. What else have we done for thousands and thousands of years? If you combine our technology with theirs, which I am most definitely sure you will, you'll use it as a statement that we are not ready for. The statement that we are prepared for larger wars- for greater battles and a higher stage of conflict makes you look a larger fool than I originally thought."

Fera sat back in her seat, crossing her arms and refusing to even glance at the contract on the wooden circle. This conversation was making her sick. Was this truly what her government had come to? Asking a teenager to spy on an alien species so they could steal their weapons? "If the Autobots are here, then you can be sure there are other planets out there, capable of life, and we will be sending a message to them. No matter what you may think, this country- no, this world, is not ready for that kind of danger-"

"Enough."

Secretary Kepler raised a hand, cutting her off. Fera's jaw snapped shut, her irritation rising at being interrupted. This man was coming way to close to turning a perfect jail-free record into a not so clean one.

"Perhaps we are not ready to accept the challenge of other life-baring entities throughout the known universe. And maybe we aren't quite sure we can handle a higher form of war. However, this does not mean that we can allow ourselves to sit back and not condition ourselves for this war. For this battle. Yes, the blunt fact is that we are trying to convince you to collect data on the extraterrestrial-"

"Autobots." she cut in.

"...the Autobots...but are we not simply hunkering down for our next conflict? How prepared were we for Chicago? For Shanghai, Washington, or Egypt? For Mission City? We only want to protect the people from the incoming threat."

"This is their war, let them fight it. If we're needed, we can help, but otherwise, we'll just get in the way." biting nails dug deeply into her skin, sending painful shocks up her arms that did nothing to ease her bitter attitude. It had nothing to do with the hour of the morning anymore. This was a serious offense against a race that only yearned for peace. "I understand you say you want to protect us, but what about after, hmm? What about if the Decepticons lose and they finally leave once and for all? What will you do with the weapons then, huh? Turn them on the 'Bots? On other countries?" she shook her head, crossing one leg over the other, "I can't trust you with that responsibility Secretary."

Kepler's jaw moved from side to side, his teeth possibly grinding on one another. Satisfaction at knowing she was once again on top passed through Fera's heart. Although, she did not smile, and she did not comment. This was still a place for business and a higher maturity on her part. She was a legal citizen now after all. "Point taken." he ground out, his voice low and on edge of angered, "But we need to have a form of protection against them in the result that they too turn on us. A strategy, a plan, something we can-"

"You have one! You idiotic, self-concerning, obtuse, pompous, screwball! They are your protection, out there!" Fera blurted, swinging her arm out to gesture at the door as her patience finally burst, "Those 'extraterrestrials' are here to help us live another day, and all you do is nag and fuss at them like they're a group of unruly school children! Give them a break and stop worrying so much because honestly, I'm pretty over it by now, and I'm sure they are too. They saved this planet three times. The least you can do is give a rat's ass about their feelings every so often instead of focusing only on yourself and those two-bit bozos up there you call a government."

Quiet immediately overcame the space. Fingers stopped typing. Air ceased its flow. Bodies halted on the floor. Eyes and faces aimed in one direction, caught in curiosity at the events going on. A heavy anchor on the tension in the room weighed on them all, mainly focused on the flustered teen and the man she so boldly addressed. He himself was lost for words, his lips parted, but nothing flooding from within. It seemed as if the world itself was holding its breath, simply waiting and watching for an explosion or one sign of movement in that moment.

The first to move was the Secretary, whom cleared his throat and straightened his tie, his eyes traveling quickly across the space. He stopped on those watching from the main room, his expression turning flustered. Fera hated attracting so much attention, but maybe it was better. Maybe it would knock sense into the man that she wasn't the only one who felt this way. When no one would speak in his favor, maybe it would show him that the government's opinion was not the only one that mattered.

Kepler rolled his head around his shoulders, turning his face back to Fera's. His gaze was deathly cold, his irises turning to sea-green ice. He snatched the papers from the table and swiftly stood on his feet. Though his dignity at being put down by a teenager had far already shattered, he still straightened his jacket and tried putting on a professional face. She had to give it to him, Kepler was one who could hold his temper. An extremely annoying man who could hold his temper, but a good one nonetheless.

"I'm sure your father would have done differently than yourself this morning Miss Lennox. The Major would have been disappointed."

At this moment, Fera leapt to her feet, slamming her hands down on the table. Her fists clenched and her chest heaved, pulling on all her strings of fire until she was consumed in heat. Blaring light poured from the Stone at her collarbone, coming in tune with each beat of her speeding heart. Her skin flushed pink and her teeth pressed together so harshly they almost cracked. Searing flame burned within her lungs, threatening to burst forth on this ignorant man. Solas joined in with her fury, nearly blinding her with the red-hot rage she felt swelling within her. It was unstoppable, and it burned so deeply she knew it would scar. Her incredibly irises began to faintly glow to a point that mirrored a pair of the Autobots' own. This lingering volcano awaited it's time to explode as she growled a sentence so simple, yet so dark, she couldn't believe she'd say so.

"If you ever mention my father again, I will release Hell on you. Say his name, and you will come back to this place a cripple."

It took everything she had to hold back the snarl bubbling through her throat as James grabbed her shoulders and hurriedly began to lead her out of the room. The hard slaps made by her feet on the concrete was loud enough to part the crowd, giving her and her guide a path to the door. That comment had been completely unnecessary, and had only been made because Fera had clearly beaten the secretary at his own game. When Marks opened however, and Fera was able to see Kepler again, she could easily see, as bright as day, the cocky smirk crossing his face.

There was not a door thick enough to hide the supernatural roar that split that girl's lips.

The closest space surrounding the hidden form vibrated with the almost indistinguishable snarl ripping from their throat. Black against brown glittered in the blaring sunlight like an onyx gem in the spotlight. Dirt billowed by on silent winds and pelted at the beings by the base of the mountains to coat them in a fine layer of dust. Though it gave them cover, it was difficult to obtain a proper vent of air in the cloud of earth. Their azure gaze pierced through the gloom easily enough that they could see around them, but the distance their abilities carried was set back considerably.

The group's flame-painted leader, Optimus Prime, crouched lowly in the front, ducking his massive silhouette behind a sizeable boulder along with the rest of his peers. Bumblebee had taken up his right side, his spinal support pressed against the rock. Mirage and Titanios had taken stand next, their bodies hidden in the crevices of the lower cliff. Ratchet and Solas were at the rear of the gathered, obscured in the murk if not for their optics or movement.

Only moments prior, Solas had been perfectly fine, if not for a bit cranky. But hadn't he always been? Now however, his optics were dipping into a darker shade, his left slowly but steadily coming to the edge of scarlet. Heat waves rippled off his paint from more than the heat of the sun on his shoulderbolts. In fact, it was supposed to be quite chilly in this part of the valleys. However, he was nearly smoking, the vents under his armor rumbling menacingly.

His digits tightened over the rock he took refuge behind, cracks splitting from beneath the tips. His weapon hummed to life, though there was no enemy, and he ground his oral sheets together. A single flick of his faceplates came up in a disgusted twist. Energy coursed through his energon as he replayed the foggy and spastic images Fera had sent them over the bond. Surprise had been his first reaction to receiving such a higher-level skill from the human, but as he noticed what was in that message, his mood had gone south. Now, he was just as antsy to claim this battle as Bumblebee was. The cyberling was practically shaking out of his armoring.

Ratchet glanced over at his comrade, taking in the sight of his optic changing color with a sigh. Solas barely paid the mech heed, focusing solely on the cave mouth and Optimus' word. When had they found this place again? Wasn't Titanios leading them merely nanoclicks before? Hadn't they been scouring the hills and crevices to search for this place? None of that mattered anymore. They were here, and Sol was thirsty for a battle.

The yellow-green medic on the other hand was not so easily agitated, for he simply nudged Solas with a concerned expression. In a flash, the Guardian had his weapon drawn, aimed straight for the mech's helm. Ratchet froze, his optics narrowed. His shoulderbolts were tense and his features grew hard.

As quick as he'd brought it out, Solas retracted his blaster back into his bracer, instead hovering a servo on the subspace pocket in his right thigh where he kept his smaller pistol. Without a second thought, Solas turned away from Ratchet and continued watching the hills and his leader, vying for the chance to spring forward and release this pent-up energy. But still, underneath all that anger and anticipation, he was unsure. What if this was a trap?

"Calm yourself Solas, we are still uncertain if we are to move forward or not. The Decepticons aren't as predictable as we wish to believe." Ratchet commented, returning to his spot behind his stone. Solas snorted, blowing a puff of dust off the surface of the bolder he ducked around. "Neither are we Ratchet. I am almost completely sure this is a ruse set up by the Decepticons, but just what they plan on doing to us is the problem." he looked over at the 'Bot, "We need to be as, if not more, unpredictable than they. Arcee is depending on us."

"Yes, but we are no good to her dead, now are we?" he muttered in response. Solas smirked, his attitude rising slightly at the medibot's remark. His left optic still burned, telling him that it was indeed locked in its red past, but it was steadily dimming back to blue. The black warrior could see the Prime testing the strength in his legs and pivotjoints as he lowered marginally and raised a servo to set on his cover, the other handling the rifle from his blaster.

He slowly rose, smoke hissing from the pipes on his upper spinal support. His masked features turned to his group, giving a serious nod towards them as he lifted a servo and began silently marking out a plan of action. Every mech around him watched as he brought two digits up and swept them out, pointing to a shallow path that wound along the contours of the rock face. He then moved on to the mountain itself, where he then shifted his servo into different shapes and signals.

A methodical grin stretched across Solas' faceplates as he realized what the Prime wanted them to do. They were to climb from both sides and drop below the entrance. The first group was to proceed first, while the second would follow right after. Optimus twisted his helm on his shoulderbolts and checked the clearing once more, making certain of his choice.

The lack of their comlink system being used was because the signal from their messages was so close to a Decepticon stronghold that it could be picked up and they would be discovered immediately. There wasn't a doubt in Sol's processor that they would be bound, humiliated, and killed before the whole of the faction. That wouldn't do so well for their side of the war, now would it?

Bumblebee of course took head, while Optimus and Titanios took second lead, with Mirage and Solas right and left flanks, and Ratchet taking rear. The group fanned out in groups of three, Solas taking leave with Bumblebee and Optimus, while Mirage, Titanios, and Ratchet sprinted the other way. As riled up as Solas was, he could not match the velocity at which Bee ran and hit the wall. A blur of yellow, the scout was scaling the stone in an astrosecond, digging his smaller peds into the mountainside and sending pebbles flying.

Many of these flying shards landed on his peers below him, forcing Solas and Optimus to pause every so often to avoid the rubble. Solas jerked again as another sliver of sharp rock flew past his shoulderbolt, scratching the surface and sending a stinging sensation through the wiring. Solas' optic ridges burrowed in annoyance and he grumbled at the energetic yellow blurb above him. Another few particles of organic matter falling on him later, and Solas had enough. The mech drew in a vent and hurried his climb, matching Optimus' steady speed, much to the Prime's surprise.

Solas wished to yell up at Bee and tell him off for showering him in organic clods, but he knew that would be one of the stupidest moves to make at the moment. Instead, he held in his annoyed thoughts and held his glossa. When Arcee was well and safe, back where she belonged among her friends and family, Solas was going to give the younger Autobot a good smack to the back of the helm for getting dirt lodged where dirt wasn't supposed to be.

Thankfully, they were up and over the desired ledge within the click, all three of the first group appearing over the lip of the cliff far before Mirage's crest appeared. Bee continued to prance in place, his arms held up as he warmed up his battle programming and yanked around his limbs. Solas shook his cranial unit from side to side, far used to seeing his upbeat attitude, but still believing he was the least mature of them all. The core of his programming was already onlined, and had been for some time now. He was ready for action now or anytime.

Optimus barely waited for Ratchet to make it over the edge before he strode forward, leaning over to get a look at the trek downward. When he seemed satisfied, the Prime nodded to his comrades and took the novel leap before disappearing below. Shock sparked between all the Prime's comrades when they looked to one another. Bumblebee was unsure about the mech's move for about a good nanoclick until he heard the distinct thump from down the mountainside. Not an optic shuttered before the scout plowed onward and followed Optimus' lead. Maybe a in a more graceful, scout-like way, but he made it down nonetheless.

One not wishing to keep his peers waiting, Solas subconsciously adjusted the shock absorbers in his legs and he too lunged at the edge. Now, a human doing what Solas was would most likely have seriously damaged themselves, if not completely committed suicide. However, being Cybertronian, and having the abilities he did, Solas only received a brief drop of his tanks and a rush of chilled air across his plating before he flipped and aimed his legs downward. Beautiful scenery played before him as he sailed for the ground, the feeling of the cold mountain wind bringing his wiring to life. He was pleased to find that the short ride cleared his processor, calming his lasting anger and allowing him to put forth a similar feeling to Fera. From the way she simmered in the corner of his consciousness, the girl was ready to kill someone. She needed the aid.

Solas hit the ground with a resounding crash, his body instinctively going limp. He rolled off his heelpeds as he bounced off the Earth's surface, splinters of dried ice chunks and frozen mud breaking beneath him like glass. Solas tucked into himself and heaved a single arm up. In doing this, he leapt skyward and was able to dig his digits into the dirt, allowing him to spin around and come to his peds. He ended up kneeling before the mouth of the cave, his body bent over his kneebolt, with one servo pressed against the compact Earth.

Optimus and Bumblebee weren't paying attention to him, but were instead hiding on opposite sides of the cave. Solas pushed himself up and sprinted the short distance, throwing his spinal support against the rock and bringing out the blaster in his bracer. Optimus could be seen across the way, his expression grim behind his mask. Even with the barrier across his features, anyone would have easily been able to tell that this was not a good situation.

"This is solely a volunteer mission." he'd said.

What in the name of the worlds was Solas thinking that this would be successful?

Brushing these doubts aside, Solas stared at Optimus long and hard, watching as the leader began signing orders at his two peers. They nodded every so often, showing they were paying attention. Bumblebee however, being the overly curious creature he was, abruptly dipped his helm around the corner to see inside the main cavern. What came next, Solas had never expected.

Bee cried out in what could only be surprise, his newly working vocal capacitor clear and ringing. Solas winced and nearly swatted the cyberling. What was he thinking?! This was enemy territory! Before he could however, the blur of a scout slipped around the cave opening and darted inside, much to the shock of his elder comrades.

"Bumblebee!" Optimus' basso voice boomed across the space and hills. His voice carried along after Bee, and he reached out a servo towards the brash 'Bot after he'd gone. Solas snarled and yanked himself around, barking out a short "Idiot!" before diving in after.

Coming around the bend, Sol's peds thudded off the walls of the dim atmosphere. Claps from his and Optimus' armor sounded cleanly enough to burst the audio receptors. Where there should have been darkness, light shown as the sun in the immediately vast area. Whirring of weaponry soared to life, screaming through the thick silence and slicing it to pieces. No detectable spark signatures were in the nearer region, nor was there a single shot fired. Optimus and Solas broke into the main chamber, making their entrance with their weapons drawn and at the ready. Cross-hairs locked; battle programming roared into the front of the processor; digits laid gently against the trigger; limbs halted into still as the shooters swept the nose of their blasters across the space.

Solas slapped a servo against his thigh, withdrawing his pistol and holding his weapons with either arms. His limbs swung on both sides of him, leaving no room for a sneak attack as he put his spinal support to Optimus'. The Prime scanned his own blaster around the nooks and crannies while Solas did the same, both mechs able to freely sweep their sharp gazes across the walls to seek out any unknown targets. Yet, against all their fear, not a single life form showed themselves.

Solas' weapons fell and he ripped himself to the side, dodging Optimus' frame to start after Bee again, giving no time to stand down and relax. Optimus tread after him, his longer legs carrying him far faster than Solas' own. However, they only reached the rim of the next entryway before Optimus struck out and grabbed Solas' arm, holding him back. The warrior growled in impatience, sending his leader a scorching look for stopping him. He wasn't able to say anything as noise from the next chamber caught both their attentions. Bumblebee could be seen easily against the boring brown backdrop, striding across the cave floor, his optics set on something mid-floor of it.

A figure, hot pink, bound and gaged, was slumped in the center of the room. Their arms were tied by an electrified line while another held their ankles and lip plates closed. The shape of their frame and their color registered instantly with Solas, and his vents took in a quick gulp of air in a form of a gasp. Throwing a servo out, Solas' CPU yelled in realization while his spark and tanks twisted painfully. "Bee, stop!"

"Arcee!" Bumblebee called out the fembot's designation and her helm snapped up swiftly upon hearing it. Her usually bright optics looked worn and dreary, as if they were covered in a fog or film. They still found Bumblebee despite this, and her exhausted faceplates lifted. As Bee reached her, this look drained and she suddenly pulled away, squirming to get away from his touch. Solas knew that this confirmed his beliefs and he quickly started at the two, tucking away his weapons and lengthening his stride as he moved.

Bumblebee started after Arcee again, but she once more jerked out of reach, her expression full of pain. There was something in her gaze that irked Solas. Maybe it was the glint of fear there, or perhaps the shambled mess of herself, but no matter what, her bodily language could not be positive. Solas grew more worried when Bee finally came near enough t grab her, and Arcee seemed as though she was terrified to come in contact with him. Because of this, Sol grabbed Bee's arm, preventing him from touching the fembot. "Stop." he snapped, finally gaining the cyberling's attention, "Don't you see this is a trap?"

"You cannot believe that they would throw her out because her usefulness to them is gone?" Bee demanded, yanking himself away with an angered hint to his faceplates, "Do you see what they have done to her? We can't leave her here like this."

"Nor can we simply grab her either. This was too easy. I do not have a confident feeling that the Decepticons would truly throw away a perfectly good hostage."

Bee snorted at the warrior and pivoted on his heelped, his arms reaching out for Arcee. Sol was not fast enough to stop the scout in time, and Arcee was now trapped. When the mech unclipped her shackles and removed her gag, the very first words that came from her lip plates was:

"You ignorant fool."

It was at this point that the whole of the cavern violently erupted into its own personal earthquake, hidden explosives collapsing the pocket around them.

One of the first to react was Optimus, whom snatched Solas' arm and forced the mech out of his frozen state by throwing him behind his position towards the entryway. Solas stumbled under the falling rubble, pieces of enormous rock falling from above as he regained his footing. One of these collided with his shoulderbolt, causing him to cry out in pain as he shuffled from side to side to avoid the downpour. In the corner of his vision, he saw Optimus grabbing Bee and slinging Arcee under one arm, starting back at Sol. The larger Prime's frame was more hindrance than help, for the chunks of earth falling around him hit his armoring far more often than that of Solas' or Bumblebee's.

A jolt of concern ran through Sol as he fought to rejoin his group. Prime had handed off Arcee to Bumblebee, and the three were now battling against the solid rain to get to him. Anxiety wound up his circuits while he waited. Nothing felt worse for him than feeling as he did now merely being able to watch as his leader and two comrades risked their lives. It was a relief to him when they came close to his position, allowing the four to begin towards the main entrance to the cave.

Air filled with choking dust and flying pebbles, most of it getting into Solas' optics and vents. As he began to hack and scrub at his optic sensors, he caught the muffled sound of his peers' own coughing and struggles. Further explosions barraged the quickly closing space to fill it with stifling heat. Warnings flashed across Solas' processor, yet he defiantly continued on to ignore them. A large boulder tumbled from overhelm, almost crushing him beneath it before he feinted to the left. Optimus and the others remained on his aft, close enough to be heard, but far enough to not be seen.

Solas knew that this situation was dire, and he recognized the intensity that the world appeared to be falling around him. This was not only a fight for their lives, but the lives of the Autobot cause. If Optimus were to perish in this collapse...

Or what of Fera? What would she do with him not there any longer? Where would the Stone lead her past these tribulations? Was there a chance she could harness her power, and use it for their wishes of a better peace? Visions of her image over these last quartexes ran on loops before Solas' optics. Past the dirt, and past the suffocating clouds, her profile show clear and pristine. He could make out nearly every detail of the vivid eyes; the way her hair tumbled down her back in the purest of gold shades; the feisty edge to her voice whenever she spoke; all the times of her laughter where his spark would beat slightly faster with the sound; the warmth he felt when she smiled at him and spoke with kinder words.

Who would she be without him?

Fera was destined for the wondrous, but if Solas deadsparked here, he would not be there to see it. He'd never hear her snappish fire again...

A boulder clipped his left heelped.

He'd never witness her growth into a finer, wiser being once she'd fully been humbled by the Stone of Primus...

One of his vents shut down in overload.

He'd never hold her vulnerable body in his servos again as she thrashed and fought off the nightmares of her past...

The entrance to the cave grew smaller and smaller, until finally, the last pebble fell, and the only source of light between the four was each other's optics.

And he'd never be able to express his true thankfulness that she'd been introduced into his life.

All four Autobots slowed in their running, the noise of their clogged venting systems filling the polluted air. Shaking around them drifted off after a few nanoclicks, and they were left to stand in deathly still as they awaited the probable setoff of the final fall of the cave. A ghostly glow attacked the dark, the soft blue orbs of one another's optics frantically switching to see everywhere at once. Solas had quit venting in anticipation, fearing as though if he moved, he would be the trigger that ended them all.

When no further movement came over them however, Optimus shifted in the black to come closer to his comrades. Solas was easily able to make out the larger leader amid the shorter pairs of lights, and he did well to freeze when Optimus glanced from him to Bee and Arcee. The mech and fembot were situated toward the edge of their small enclosure, huddled in their nest of arms in what Solas believed was a way for them to reassure themselves that they were both alive and there. Optimus' gaze met Solas', and the two mechs carefully strode forward at a painfully slow pace. Better safe than be crushed by hundreds of tons of stone.

Gravel sprinkled from a crack between the mountain of rocks piled above them, and everyone went motionless for at least a click. The moment of apprehension passed soon enough, and Solas was able to release a violent cough of his vents to remove some of the obscurities there. A shower of debris flew from his chassis, spreading a cloud of loose particles as Optimus came upon the mech. He too gave a couple of hearty chokes before regaining himself and taking away the mask on his lower faceplates.

"Are you alright?" he murmured. Even at such a low volume, Solas felt as though the room would shatter with its power. The deeper tone vibrated along the perimeter of the space, dislodging a collection of other dust plumes that set both Arcee and Bee off in the corner.

"I'm fine." Solas responded, cupping his wounded shoulderbolt as he felt the slick heat of his energon beading down his armor, "But perhaps we should focus on those of us who are more heavily injured and attempt getting a comlink out to the others." his helm tilted at the two a few yards away. If he was able to distract Optimus away from his wounds, then Solas could be reassured that those more worthy of the attention would get the help they needed. He was still unsure about the extent of Bee's injuries, and there was no telling was state Arcee was in.

Optimus pressed his lip plates into a hard line, his features thoughtful. He was no fool, and would definitely recognize Solas' ruse. However, because he was no fool, he would also understand the attention needed for their younger companions.

The Prime turned away with hesitance in his optics. And Solas was quick to follow behind, but he kept a closer distance in case the need for saving the others was necessary in the event of further collapse. The burn of his shoulderbolt took most of his attention for the time, which made it especially difficult to shut down the pain receptors there and concentrate on the task at servo. It helped him to take his processor off of things when he tried establishing contact with the outside world. He was unsuccessful the first few times, but he kept up his efforts as he and Optimus approached the couple.

It appeared as though Arcee had a good amount of her armor removed, mostly from damage taken by her time with the Decepticons, or from the cave crumbling. Her cranial unit and frame appeared burned, scratched, dented, and crusted with dried energon. The usual flame in her blue stare was now but a watered-down echo. A newer life had returned to them upon her rescue, however, now that things were dying down and her future appeared uncertain, they returned to the grayish hue they'd been before.

Bumblebee, in contrast, was alive in excitement. The dance of his battered yellow paint blurred when he moved or vented. Not once had his servo left Arcee's, and the two were nearly inseparable when Optimus had inquired about their condition. It sent a buzz down Solas' spinal relay to see them so caught up in the fact that their other was alive and still kicking, and it remained a happier sight in the presence of the dark. They didn't fit in here. They didn't belong here. This wasn't something meant for the war, yet, here they were. Maybe this, whatever they may call it, had been made by the war.

Solas' spot remained curtained behind his Prime, his optics dimmed so he may find a more private time in his silence. A single servo came up and hovered over his spark, where the part pulsed and seethed with coursing depth. A newer sense of himself spawned within him, expanding and spreading throughout at incredible speeds. He didn't understand this vigor in his energon, nor did he remember a time where he had felt so close, yet so far from anything in his life cycle. He was being pulled somewhere, far beyond here, where a strong will inside his own was clawing to keep his spirits alive. Maybe whatever had been created between Fera and himself was also a product of war. He couldn't -or perhaps didn't want to- understand the concept of it all.

He was here.

But he wasn't.

He was some place, far away from where he stood, instead before a particular human, with her arms wrapped around his body. She was crushing him to her, their forms locked in a sense of relief and astronomical freedom from the sudden fear they'd been put through. This was too close to Solas' past experiences, and he dreaded the possibility that it may happen again. However, her arms remained tight over his impossible presence, keeping him rooted where he wasn't supposed to be. There was no telling how he was there at the moment, but for right then, he couldn't care less. He could receive her scent and he felt her rushing heart against his chassis as purely as if he were actually there. But wasn't he? Wasn't that her hugging him impossibly tight, and holding onto whatever she could as though he were leaving permanently? It was her anchoring him there by the pure desperation of not wanting to be alone again, right? Wasn't that her? Even her voice, as smooth as glass, seemed all too painfully real.

Please, don't leave me. Come back. Come back to me.

Such a dirty trick, using Arcee like that for a trap, huh?

Decepticons are such stinkers.

But it's the fun of finding out how the characters survive that keeps the readers interested ;)

Just want to put it out there:

I've made Kepler as hate-worthy as I possibly can, so let's trust that there's no Kepler-lovers out there lurking...

Lot's of hugs to my lovely pm buddies who I've randomly struck up conversations with spanning over 100 messages,

Hopefully they'll keep dealing with me for a while longer ^_^

Oh, and the contest is still open for these next few weeks before it closes, so don't forget to submit your ideas!

*Chapter Inspiration: Clarity= Zedd featuring Foxes*