After walking back through the ground bridge, Azura noticed that Fowler was awake. He was sitting up on the gurney, and she suspected that Ratchet had filled in what had been happening. The man had a worried expression and he looked down at Azura, smiling a little at her. She smiled back at him as she walked towards the platform. She felt bad that they weren't able to stop the decepticons from locking onto Cybertron. She had no idea what was happening right now, but she was feeling quite nervous.

"I do believe you were able to stale the decepticons were you not?" Ratchet asked as he looked at Raf. The boy looked up at him and nodded. "How were they able to override it so quickly?"

"Because one of them happened to be there," Jack responded and the medic widened his optics slightly. "We didn't even know until his tentacles reached in to stop us." Ratchet glanced at Azura who stood there silently listening to him. "But he also tried to snatch Azura."

"I see…" Ratchet placed his hands on his hips, and Azura just tensed under his gaze, knowing he was unhappy about the news and also another reason why he had told her to stay here. "It seems he was unsuccessful. It sounds like Soundwave was there, which I guess I am not surprised. He would be the only one who can hack directly into the array and control it no problem."

The boy nodded. "Though I am not sure how he was unsuccessful. We saw him pull back his tentacle after shuddering from what looked like some kind of electric shock…" Azura tensed her jaw and felt her heartrate increase nervously. "And the tentacle looked like it hard been burned somehow…" Ratchet raised an eyebrow and looked at Azura curiously. "She mentioned that she met Soundwave three years ago. I am going to assume that is also the reason why Azura happened to be held by those two decepticons several days ago."

"She did, that is true. But it wasn't the way you think it was." Azura glanced up at Ratchet as he gazed at her before looking up at the monitor. "Thank you for informing me of this information, Jack. Unfortunately, even though your efforts to stop the decepticons were good enough to stale, I am afraid things aren't going so well for Optimus. I detected a large chunk of dark energon being thrown into the space bridge."

"Woah, that's bad," Azura said nervously, looking up at the monitor. "Does that mean we lost?"

"No, we have not lost, Azura. It just means we will need an alternative solution, and fast." Ratchet widened his optics as the system began detecting a heap of signals in the space bridge, and Azura couldn't help but worry about Optimus. She didn't know how he was going to stop Megatron now. Ratchet opened the com link again to speak to Optimus. "Optimus, I'm registering a rapidly expanding mass in their space bridge vortex. One with a peculiar energy signature."

"Dark energon," Optimus confirmed as he listened to Ratchet. Fowler walked over to observe what was happening while holding his right side, still in discomfort from what happened to him. "Ratchet, we must destroy the space bridge." Azura hoped it was possible to do, but she didn't know if the bots would need a big explosive to do that. "There's enough live energon coursing through it to achieve detonation, but we lack the firepower to ignite it."

"If I knew how the space bridge was engineered, I might find a technical way of accomplishing that feat," Ratchet responded to the Optimus.

Raf reached into his bag and pulled out his USB. "Um, would schematics help?"

The medic just nodded slightly before speaking to Optimus. "Optimus, I must say, the space bridge is our sole hope of ever returning to Cybertron. Are you certain its destruction is the only option?"

Azura felt bad for the autobots. It was their only means of returning to their home, but if they had a different way of defeating the undead, this wouldn't be the only option. And Optimus knew this too, despite the sad tone of his voice with his response. "I am afraid so."

Ratchet nodded as he understood what needed to be done and frowned deeply. "Then by all means, let us light our darkest hour!" He glanced down at Rafael. "Please upload the schematics to the system now, Rafael. We haven't much time."

The boy nodded as he was quick to plug the USB into the port to upload the schematics. He didn't waste any time so that Ratchet could find a way to detonate the space bridge. Azura really felt a lot of tension in the air at the moment. Her mind was filling with so many things, she wondered what Optimus was doing. She feared that he and Megatron would be fighting right now.

She walked over to a chair and sat down, almost letting out a hiss of pain due to the stinging of her back when she tried to lean back. She didn't know how bad the burn really was, but she felt some liquid on her back and she hoped that wasn't energon. She didn't dare check while Ratchet was there, even though he was focused on studying the schematics that Raf was helping him work out. The medic was quick to see exactly what the schematics were reading and began to guide Arcee where she and the bots needed to go.

Azura looked at Jack who was staring at the screen in concern. "Just another average day with the autobots, huh?" He looked at her in surprise as she smiled at him. "Are you going to stick around after today?"

"Not like I have a choice now," Jack shrugged. "I think Soundwave took an image of Miko, Raf and I before he flew away to tend to his wounds." He glanced back at the screen for a moment and looked back at her curiously. "How did you manage to burn him anyway?"

"Uh, I didn't," She responded in an uncertain tone as she didn't know she was going to answer him. "I think he touched a loose cable or something, because the lights dimmed just before you guys came out to find me."

"I didn't think electricity would affect cons that easily," Jack said thoughtfully. "Must have been a pretty strong voltage for him to even be hurt."

"It would have to be," Ratchet commented as he listened to the conversation. "Electrical shocks don't hurt us the same way it does humans, but it would have had to be very strong for Soundwave to retreat. I would say he was surprised mostly." He glanced at Azura and Jack briefly. "But since you are all safe, it definitely was a good thing it happened."

Azura nodded in agreement. "Yeah." She knew that she might have to tell Ratchet about her abilities so he would understand how she received the burn to her own body. She was feeling a lot of pain at the moment and she was hiding it as best as she could. "If only the cons could use human computers often, maybe we'd download a heap of information for you."

The medic scoffed in amusement. "If only it were that simple. But the cons would only use human technology as a last resort. Just like we were forced to use human technology because we had nothing else with us."

"You've made it work, so it's a good accomplishment," Azura said with a smile. "And it's working well right now, since you can detect things that human technology can't. Like a space bridge and the things that are coming through it." She shivered a little as she stared at the screen.

Fowler was also staring at the screen and he had a very worried expression on his face. "These things are getting closer." He turned to look at the medic while gesturing at the screen. "That's bad right?"

Before Ratchet could respond, Arcee spoke through the com link. "Ratchet, we're in position."

Ratchet looked at the screen as Rafael pulled up the main conductor of the space bridge. "Arcee, pay close attention."

Azura was going to listen in on Ratchet orders when she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned her head to look at Fowler. "I should probably apologize for the way I walked in yesterday, Azura. I was just frustrated because I thought Optimus didn't have things under control."

She smiled at him for his apology. "You know he wouldn't have caused an explosion intentionally. I saw it for my own eyes that they were fleeing that explosion. The decepticons caused it, not Optimus."

He sighed a little and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I am just stressed when it comes to dealing with the bots. Not because of them, but the threat the decepticons pose to this planet. It's a big job, ya know. Having to be the massager and all. I honestly never expected this to be part of my job description."

"I understand. And then there's me, my life got turned upside down three years ago." Jack turned his head slightly to listen in on the conversation between Azura and Fowler. "Life likes to play jokes, I am sure."

"Yeah. I remember blaming Optimus for that too." He shrugged a little with a light chuckle. "I guess I really should listen to the whole story before making angry assumptions. I don't have great self control of my temper sometimes, and it gets the better of me."

"I noticed." She smiled at him as the man rolled his eyes at her. "But no one is perfect. I am sure since we'll probably be around for a long time, you'll get better at it. The bots have done a good job really."

"Yeah…especially since there's only a few of them," Fowler said in agreement. "If only they could be awarded for it, but I know they wouldn't want that." He looked at Ratchet as the medic spoke to Arcee on what to do. "We will definitely owe them big time…though we already do."

Azura nodded in agreement as she looked at Ratchet, listening in on what he was telling Arcee. "Now follow the line from the flow regulator to the energon pump, there should be a valve," Ratchet instructed calmly to the femme.

"I see it," Arcee confirmed with the medic, making Azura feel excited and worried at the same time.

"Good!" Ratchet smiled as he received her confirmation. "To turn all that power against itself, all you need do is reverse the current."

Holding their breathe, Azura stared at the screen as she and the others waited to hear that Arcee reversed the current. Azura clasped her hands together as she waited. "Current reversed."

"Yes!" Fowler cheered suddenly with a pump of his fist and startling the children around him. He glanced at the kids when he noticed they weren't cheering. "Right?"

Azura giggled a little and looked at Ratchet. "I'll ready the ground bridge."

I hope Optimus is okay…

Azura stood up slowly from the chair with a light groan. Jack raised an eyebrow as he noticed the way Azura was moving was stiff and that she was in pain and discomfort. She didn't look harmed when they left the array site, but that didn't mean she had not been hurt by Soundwave. Something was not adding up in his mind, and he didn't know if he should say something. But he decided another time would be better as she walked towards the stairs as Ratchet activates the ground bridge.

"Optimus, the ground bridge is ready and waiting!" Ratchet informed the leader once the bridge was activated.

Azura stood at the top of the stairs, staring at the bridge. She was tense and filled with worry as she didn't know if they would make it through. And she just wanted to see Optimus come through alive. Even if he was injured, she would be thrilled to see him come through alive. That would mean they could spend more time together, and her heart was really starting to feel like she could start calling him dad soon, even though she hesitated to do so for fear of being hurt and disappointed again.

Ratchet was watching the vortex silently as he stood by the bridge controls. Azura was almost tempted to run through the vortex to get to Optimus, but as far as she knew, the autobots received his message that the bridge was open. And she wasn't the only one who was worried. The others were just as worried as she was.

Raf looked at Ratchet with a worried expression. "Do you think they're…"

He didn't even finish his sentence as he didn't want to say it. Ratchet lifts his wrist to check the life signals of the autobots. "Four life signals." Azura almost sighed in relief as that was good, but then he said the next part. "One very faint."

Please don't let it be…

Just as Azura was thinking that, Optimus seemed to jump through the vortex and land gently. She immediately smiled and ran down the stairs, ignoring the sting in her back. "Optimus!" She felt happy tears in her eyes as she jumped the last few stairs, landing on the ground and running over to him. Ratchet smiled at her excitement, and Optimus leaned down to pick her up. "You're alive!"

"I promised you that I would come back, and I did," Optimus responded to her happily as he held her against his chassis. He felt her tensing slightly and he didn't know if it was because she was upset or not. "We were successful in our mission."

Azura was relieved. She noticed that he had noticeable scratches and dents to his body. It was obvious he had been in a fight. But he was okay and she relaxed in his hand, trying to not give away that she was hurt. She huddled against his chassis with her arms spread across his chassis as an awkward hug, listening to the beat of his spark within.

"Bulkhead!" She glanced to the side and smiled as she saw Bulkhead. He leaned down to let Miko hug his arm as she raced over to him happily.

However, as Bee ran in behind him, Azura gasped and turned her body when she saw he was carrying Arcee. The femme was unconscious. "Oh no…" She let tears fall from her eyes as she stared in disbelief. "Not Arcee too."

She sniffled a little as she watched Jack stare at Arcee in disbelief and worry that she was unconscious. Ratchet walked over in concern as he stared at the femme. "We lost one this week, by the All Spark, don't let it be two."

Azura glanced at Ratchet, expecting him to prepare the med bay for Arcee before looking down just as Jack walked over to the femme and placed his hand into her palm. This seemed to wake her up as she opened her optics and Azura sighed in relief. "Arcee." Jack's voice cracked as he said her name.

Arcee seemed rather amused by the boy's expression and voice tone. "Jack, really? There are other motorcycles in the world."

Azura smirked a little in amusement by the comment. She knew there was other bikes in the world, but there was only one Arcee. Just like there was only one Cliff. None of them could be replaced, and Azura was just happy that Arcee likely would need minor treatment, but she wasn't a doctor. She hoped Ratchet would look her over later.

"But you're my first," Jack responded to Arcee in a shy tone.

Ratchet turned his head to look at Optimus curiously. "And Megatron?"

Optimus glanced at Ratchet for a moment before responding to him. "Not even he could have survived ground zero." Optimus's tone sounded different. She looked up at him as it sounded almost like grief. He looked down at her and smiled at her. "At least I take relief knowing that Megatron cannot harm Azura anymore."

"Prime!" The bots turn slightly to look at Fowler. The man had gathered his things and seemed to be preparing to leave. "I didn't get to thank you bots for the save." He walked over to the elevator and Azura raised an eyebrow, wondering how he was going to leave without a helicopter. "I owe you one. We all do."

Azura watched him leave and she stared at the elevator. "Didn't his helicopter get destroyed?" She looked over at Bulkhead who nodded. "How is he going to leave?"

"He will most likely contact someone in the military to retrieve him, Azura," Bulkhead responds with a smile. "I doubt Fowler is going to forget what happened to him any time soon. I know I wouldn't if I were in his shoes."

"We are very lucky no one else has perished," Bumblebee said as Arcee gestured for him to let her down. "At least you will be okay, Arcee."

The femme nodded as he lowered her to the ground carefully, and supported her as she stood up, smiling at everyone. It was definitely a great sign that she was on the mend. Azura was happy she didn't have to go through more grieving because she was not sure how she would be able to process losing another family member. She was still grieving for Cliffjumper, even if she wasn't crying daily for him.

Miko seemed to get an idea in her head and she walked towards Optimus curiously and spoke to him in a soft tone. "So is the part where you say goodbye and tell us we need to forget we ever saw you?"

Azura was surprised that Miko would ask that, but it could be possible. "I do not think it is necessary, Miko. You, Jack and Rafael are welcome to this base. We no longer have a means of leaving this world, and I do believe it will do us good to keep the friendship that we have formed with you young humans." Optimus smiled at the children kindly as they were happy to hear the response. "This base is our home now, and I have grown to enjoy having you three around."

Miko grinned excitedly and jumped with a fist pump. "Hooyah!" She looked at Bulkhead happily. "Looks like we're still partners! Isn't that awesome?!"

Bulkhead chuckled at the girl's excitement. "I am thrilled to remain in contact with you, Miko. You have become a good friend. Though…" He paused for a moment as he was checking on something. "I think it is time to be taking the children back home for the night." He looked at Arcee curiously. "Do you want Bee or myself to take Jack?"

Arcee shook her head. "I'm fine, Bulkhead." Ratchet placed his hands on his hips with a frown. "I'm not dying, Ratchet. I just happened to get hit by Megatron before we came through the bridge." That made Ratchet frown deeper at her. "You can check my system tomorrow. I just want to spend a bit of time with my human friend."

He tapped his fingers on his hips for a moment before rolling his optics. "If you wish to be reckless, go ahead. But you will come back as soon as you drop Jack off, Arcee. I don't want any complaints about that."

"Understood." She transformed as Jack grabbed his helmet. "Let's go before it gets too late, Jack. I could use the fresh air."

"You and me both." He swung his leg over the bike and looked up at Azura. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Azura." He placed his helmet on and looked around with a sigh. "I am glad that I chose to come back after the issue with my job." He looked ahead happily. "Let's get out of here, Arcee."

She did not respond to him as she revved her engine before speeding out of the lobby. Azura smiled as the two leave the base, knowing that they would be able to relieve some of that tension from the day. She knew she wouldn't be able to do that given that she had noticed Optimus already seemed to notice something was wrong.

Miko sighed in irritation. "I can't believe the time flew by so quickly!" She glanced at her watch before looking up at Bulkhead. "Welp, I guess we'd better get going too, Bulk."

"Don't want to make you stay up late on a school night." The wrecker chuckled a little as he transformed and opened the passenger side door. "Let's roll."

As metal music began to play from the radio, Miko squealed happily and raced around to jump in. Bulkhead closed the door and the wrecker drove away while the two of them sang along to the song and Miko dance happily as well. Azura looked down at Raf as Bee had transformed to take him home.

"That was a good idea about the Texas array, Raf," Ratchet said gently, getting the boy's attention. "I guess I should stop seeing human technology as too primitive. It does seem like that I need to pay a bit more attention to what this world has in the future." Raf smiled at him. "And good job getting those schematics. We couldn't have achieved tonight's victory without you."

"Aw, I only just wanted to help, that's all," He responded with a shy shrug. "I am just happy you all are alive, and this world is saved. I am just sorry you lost the only way back to your home planet." He looked down and placed a hand on his arm with a sad expression. "It kind of makes me feel guilty."

"Rafael, it was the only way to stop Megatron from invading Earth with his army," Optimus told the boy in a reassuring tone. "I appreciate your concern for us, however we will survive on this planet. There is enough energon on this planet, and it seems like deposit still form in different areas of the world."

"I guess." Raf looked at Bee before looking up at Optimus with a smile. "I do hope you find another way to your home, Optimus. As much as I love spending time with Bee, I know that he has a home out there. I don't know what it is like to lose everything, but I sympathize with you." He walked over to the open passenger side. "I will see you tomorrow at school, Azura."

Bumblebee closed the door and drove away, leaving the girl with Optimus and Ratchet. The medic sighed and turned to Optimus as he looked at Azura. "Now…" She flinched and looked at Ratchet with wide eyes. "I have a feeling that you haven't been telling the truth, Azura. Soundwave was at the array when you went with the children. What happened?"

She bit her lip for a moment as she was nervous about responding. "Um…well…I…I-I didn't want to say in front of the others…but…Soundwave didn't hurt me…I hurt myself." Ratchet frowned a little in confusion and she looked up at Optimus. "My back is burned."

Optimus widened his optics and moved his hand as he adjusts Azura in his hand before lifting her shirt, gasping as he saw the fabric sticking to her back as energon was still bleeding from her back. "By the All Spark…" Ratchet saw the injury too and they both began walking towards the med bay. "I am afraid to ask, but…did you do something?"

"How can Azura possibly do anything?" Ratchet asked Optimus in confusion. "Do you know something I don't? I am confused. That burn looks like…it is like someone shocked her with high voltage or she was burned by fire. Though it looks like a volt, metal burn."

Optimus sighed as Azura looked up at him. "I am afraid we will need to tell him, Azura. He needs to know." She nodded in understanding before she suddenly let out a sob. "Azura only informed me of this information recently. The Matrix has gifted her with abilities. She can manipulate the elements around her, and influence the weather."

The medic stopped in his track in shock and Optimus glanced back at him. "She...what?" He blinked in disbelief. "Oh, that explains why Jack said that Soundwave had a burn injury on his tentacle..."

"Hmmm...I am still curious that you didn't physically stop Azura from following the children, Ratchet," Optimus said as he looked back down at Azura. He was concerned about the burn on her back, and the fact it was bleeding was not good at all. Ratchet's expression was already filled with concern, so that didn't change when Optimus commented about him letting Azura follow the children. "I am not sure how long Azura has known about her abilities, but she informed me of this recently."

"I assume you didn't want us to know yet…but given the circumstance of what happened with Soundwave, I can understand why I now know." Ratchet hummed softly as he rubbed his chin. "What exactly happened, Azura?"

Azura sniffled a little and wiped her cheek. "I don't really know…I…uh…ran into a bathroom, and hid in a cubicle…uh, um…" She felt nervous about telling the story to them as she did not know if they would react badly or not. "He did figure out I was in the bathroom and located me. And when he grabbed me and tried to pull me out, I was already trying to create a strong charge…and I touched a vanity that had water on it…" She huffed a little as she realized her memory was a tad fuzzy about what happened. "Um, uh…and I touched the tentacle just as I felt the electricity suddenly pulse out of my body, like an actual electric magnetic pulse, and the water must have…well, it's a conductor, so it must have increased the power of the shock." She didn't know yet if she would be in trouble for going with Jack and the others or not. "And…um…it shocked me too. I felt it across my body, and I think it made my skin hot because I had steam coming off my body. And I didn't expect to burn myself."

"That's kind of concerning if you can injure yourself with your own abilities," Optimus said worryingly as they enter the med bay. "I would say the shock must have surprised Soundwave enough for him to retreat…but even though Megatron is gone, the decepticons are not." She groaned a little as she knew what that meant. "They know now you have abilities." He walked towards one of the med berths and sat down on it while keeping Azura on his lap. "Seems like we will need to do some control practice. But we need to make sure the burn isn't bad."

"Allow me." Ratchet gently took Azura from Optimus and placed her onto a smaller berth. He gently pulled off her shirt, making her whimper as the fabric was stuck to her skin. He saw that parts of the fabric had actually melted slightly, so she definitely was right about her body being hot. However, he saw the burn was from the middle part of her back down to her backside. "Hmm…that is definitely some serious metal burn." He scanned her body for a moment and he sighed a little. "And there's a few breaches in your skin. In human terms, they need stitching."

"Stitching?" Azura looked at him fearfully as he nodded and she looked over at Optimus. "Uh…c-can I lay beside Optimus when you do that?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Please…it's going to hurt, isn't it?"

He thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Very well." Azura smiled in relief as she was moved back to Optimus's berth, and Optimus gently made sure she laid on her stomach. She grabbed onto his hand though and had no intention of letting go. "I need to stop the bleeding first…" He walked away and she heard him ruffling through something. "Some quick bleed stop stuff first and I'll begin the patch work."

Azura laid her head against Optimus's palm as she was nervous. Optimus smiled as her desire to be with him for comfort was something he was happy with. However, he was still disappointed she chose to go with Jack. But he knew Ratchet was partially responsible for not physically stopping Azura, even though he guessed Ratchet didn't do that was to keep up the appearance of Azura being a human.

"Am I going to be punished for…defying Ratchet?" Azura asked, looking up at Optimus curiously.

"The injury you have and facing Soundwave again was punishment enough, Azura. Ratchet himself should not have let you go, so he is partly responsible." Ratchet huffed in annoyance as he brought over the things he needed, placing them down while Optimus spoke to Azura. "I am disappointed by your decision, even if I understand you didn't want to feel like you were sidelined. I want you to know putting yourself in danger is not something I want you to do. It frightens me that you even managed to injure yourself in such a way, even if Soundwave had caused you to react that way."

She was glad she wouldn't be punished, but she did feel bad for disappointing Optimus again. She let a few more tears fall before she felt something being poured onto her back. She yelped and tensed as the liquid immediately caused stinging. "Ow! The hurts!"

"Sorry, Azura, but this is going to stop the bleeding," Ratchet responded to her kindly as Optimus held Azura to keep her from wiggling around too much. "I am afraid it is not pleasant, but it will stop the bleeding."

Azura didn't respond as she buried her face into Optimus's palm. She began to cry from the pain she was feeling, and she also felt some itchiness. She didn't know if the stinging would go away, but Ratchet poured the liquid onto several spots on her back. She had no idea there was that many wounds, but she was forced to endure it. Eventually the pain would ease, but then Ratchet began the patch work and he did use some numbing balms, but that didn't completely help and he also applied something else to heal the burn more quickly. She didn't know how she was going to even sleep tonight. When it was over, Azura remained curled against Optimus. She almost refused the low-grade energon because she was in too much pain to ingest it, but she refused to allow Optimus or Ratchet to move her away. Arcee returned to base shortly after, but she was unaware of what Ratchet had to do with Azura as he mended the damage Optimus was inflicted with before Optimus took Azura back to her room to put her to berth. She had wanted a bath, but Ratchet said no so the stuff he put on her back and the patchwork wouldn't be disrupted. She wasn't looking forward to the next few days, even though she would work on her science project from tomorrow.