Everyone has their demons and Optimus is no exception. Jacqueline, a successful psychiatrist, unfortunately catches a glimpse of a darker mentality when she keeps digging into Optimus' past despite her brother's warning.

"And I just, you know, feel like snapping, like how easy it would be to just crush them."

Dr. Jacqueline Harvey wrote down the words in a quick noted fashion and nodded. "I see, and this mental state, does it come on only when you are around them or does something specific trigger it, do you know?"

The pink and green-striped tiger femme gulped, sitting back with her servos on her lower chest and drumming her digits. "I don't but maybe...you know what? I think I might. Yeah...yeah, I-I think when I'm close to them and see their smiles, that's what does it. I can't stand seeing them smile, like a mockery..."

"You think they are laughing at you?"

"Maybe."

"And what do you have against laughter, might I ask?"

"I always think the laughter is against me, like I'm just a freak. Do you have any idea what it's like to have a color scheme like mine and feel misplaced? An abomination?" The femme whimpered, ears down with her green optics as pitiful as puppy dog eyes.

Jacqueline sat beside the railing to overlook her patient and pieced together slowly what she knew from the bot's description of her hatred and the inner turmoil. She understood the judgement but couldn't relate. Her patient didn't need to know that.

"I think I see. This isn't about those who belittle you; it's about your own self-worth. Tell me, when you hear the laughter, what do you believe is happening?"

"Like I said, they are mocking me because I'm...me," the femme said before pausing. Jacqueline gestured to continue as they realization hit her. "I...I always assume it's me because what else is there they could be laughing at? But maybe they weren't laughing at me at all. I just heard them so all I did was assume because I don't think highly of myself...therefore I'm making myself think they are laughing at me. The only problem here is what I think of myself?"

Jacqueline placed the notebook on a side table and softly smiled. "The world is cruel, but the cruelest thing in the world is often yourself. The only person who can bring you down is you. If you think long and hard enough, what you imply will be what you know and what you know will be all that you are able to judge on without realizing the full reason as to why it's happening. The greatest power is the mind's perception."

"So, because I'm not confident in myself, I believe I am being mocked. And I hear them talking and laughing and assume they are mocking me when it's my own sense of judgement that is corrupted. How do I fix that?"

Jacqueline stood up and smiled, walking towards the platform that rests attached to the chair's side. "I suggest seeing yourself in a different light. Instead of focusing on what you know about yourself, regardless of opinion, focus on finding out what you don't know and expand on that. Find a positive trait and use that to inspire yourself to look back on your previous opinions. Do something like have a mirror in front of you and every day tell yourself with all your favorite things surrounding you 'I am perfect just the way I am.' Show yourself what you love and see why you love it again. I guarantee it has to do with you as a person, and no one will ever be able to take what you love away from you if you don't let them. At the end of the day, the only person who will be looking back in that mirror is you who loves you for who you are."

The femme perked up considerably. "Really?"

"Try it and if you still have doubts, I promise you I will help you see how amazing you are no matter how long it takes. You're perfect just the way you are, colors and all."

The tiger femme nearly jumped up out of her seat to the startlement of the human. "Thank you, Doc!"

"We'll set another appointment when you're ready to give me an update, okay?"

"Okay, yeah! I am a beautiful person. I am perfect just the way I am. I am a beautiful person..."

As soon as the femme left muttering to herself, Jacqueline smiled and ripped her notes out of the pad to file in a drawer she had marked for her patients. Placing it under the recent visit, she clapped her hands once together and nodded as a job well done. She loved seeing her patients thrive. One thing she always encouraged was for patients to find the answers themselves first rather than her telling what she deduced. It was found this was the best way to get her patients to analyze and know what truly ailed them and possibly how to fix it. If they were told off the bat what she found was ailing them, the effort of believing they could beat their psychological problems would be far less effective.

With that patient the last of the day, she packed her personal papers and headed out, locking her office. She planned to make a quick rendezvous to the Autobot Base outside of the city where her brother was stationed before she went home to review the day's progress with certain individuals while noting the recession of a few. Her brother was...one of the recessives.

Unlike the other patients, she had direct contact with him and could check up on him off the clock. As a techie of the command center that kept track of all the leaders' messages and plans of the cybernetic worlds and relayed everything to the Autobot leader himself, he was under a lot of stress, and she knew all the signs pointed to Persistent Depressive Disorder. It was relentless even with treatment. She feared it was getting worse and with access to many weapons, all it took was the wrong thought. Jacqueline refused to let that happen.

She drove to the base and showed her identification; she was the first psychiatrist on call for PTSD episodes of troops as well as destructive behaviors. Those that had fought with the Autobots against the Decepticons often developed the worst psyche breakdowns. She parked in her designated area and made her way with an escort to the command center in the middle of the base. In the investigation room, which she knew he went there for privacy, not in actual trouble, she waved the escort off and placed her bag down on the seat. A low-cut brunette in army attire tossed his hat uselessly on the ground and dragged his hands across his face miserably.

"Hey, Jacob, how's everything going?"

Her brother huffed and sat down after looking at his reflection in the one-way glass. "Can't stop thinking about everything. My mood is constantly moving back and forth, and I can't keep my concentration anymore. It's painful."

"Physical or mental?"

"Both. I think it's becoming more than depressive disorder. I can see other people's injuries and my mind wants to torture me. I saw a woman with an arm cut up by a rogue Dinobot attack and within minutes, my arm was in excruciating agony like my mind's reflecting her injuries onto me. That's not depression I don't think."

Jacqueline dug through her bag as she said, "No, it's not but all your other symptoms up until now have been which may or may not have something to do with it. Phantom pain is commonly an issue with amputees, but there is a rare form of it where if you have an injury like on your left arm, your brain will mimic it on your right arm for no reason. It usually passes once the real affected area is healed or through physical therapy."

He approached her distressed. "But these aren't my injuries! It's someone else's! What is wrong with me, Jay-Jay?!"

She paused and looked Jacob in the eye, slowly shaking her head, "I don't know. Maybe it's a form of PTSD. You're triggered by seeing blood or general wounds and it's causing your mind to go haywire. Best case, it's just the environment and maybe if you spend some time away from the base, it could give your brain a soft reset. The depression won't go away on its own but maybe this phantom imprint pain will."

"And the worst case?"

"It...might be a complication of something else, something I haven't diagnosed. Sometimes the body will tell you things through messages. For instance, I had a friend who kept having abnormal menstrual cramps even after she went through her cycle for the month. They were getting worse, and she felt drained, like blood was not circulating right. She went to the doctor, and they found she had a tumor starting to form and had been through the past five months when the abnormalities started. The phantom pain might be your body trying to tell you it's hurting somewhere, and your mind knows you were focused on the soldiers' wounds. Dreams are also where the body will try and use your mind to tell what's wrong through specific images or events you play as you sleep. The brain is a very powerful component, and it will do everything in its power to make sure everything it operates is in good condition."

Jacob sat down and scoffed, "Just like a machine."

"Exactly," she replied. "And you can affect the brain just as much as it can affect you. If you believe you will die, your brain can interpret that as quitting and one day, it'll just shut down on its own because you believed it as true, and it had no reason to dispute you. Go to the doctor and make sure to get checked out, a physical and everything. If they find nothing, we'll see about re-examining you for any other disorders. If they do find something, let me know. And make sure-"

"And make sure I take my medicine...you sound just like Dad when we were kids and we both got colds."

"Someone has to keep Dad's advice," she said, pulling out a bottle. "And here's the new pills. These are a bit of a higher dose, but they shouldn't interfere with your work. If they do, call me."

Jacob took it before frowning, "You didn't just come all the way here just to bring me my medication, did you? Don't want to stick around?"

Jacqueline laughed, "I've seen the base plenty of times before."

"But not when Optimus and his team are here."

The name piqued her interest. Optimus Prime was the war hero, the epitome of celestial guidance and an idol to those with hope in their hearts. To refuse seeing Optimus Prime of all mechs when the opportunity came was a missed opportunity of meeting an inspiration. It was because of Optimus humanity didn't fall into despair and for that, she, like many, were extremely grateful.

"I suppose I could stick around. He's here now?"

Jacob nodded as he stood back up and gestured towards the door. "Absolutely. He's here in the command center too. I'll show you."

They walked to the greeting bay of the command center where the high-profile authorities and superiors met with any of the Transformers who had information, leaders, and other ranked officials. She paused humbly when she laid eyes upon the largest mech in the room. The signature red and blue colors were hard to miss even in a crowded space.

She grew excited. What if she could find out a few things about him, an exclusive insight into why he did what he did? What drove the Autobot leader to save humanity? What was the war like on Cybertron from more than just mere opinions? The possibilities were endless and very few could say they had delved into the mind of Optimus Prime. She needed to know; she must know!

Jacob and Jacqueline climbed up the catwalks as Optimus talked to Colonel Lennox and a few of his subordinates. Upon hearing them approach, the Prime turned his head towards her, his calm gaze making Jacqueline perk up in hope. If he was as nice as they said, he would agree under certain circumstances.

"And who might this be?" Optimus asked politely.

Jacob gestured to his sister. "Optimus Prime, sir, this is my sister, Jacqueline Harvey. She's a psychiatrist and works with this base on occasion to treat those afflicted with mental health problems and diagnose mental disorders."

The Prime gave a small smile that made the woman weak at the knees. "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Harvey."

"Please, call me Jacqueline, Mr. Prime."

She earned a raised brow and a stronger smile as he replied. "Optimus will suffice just fine. The care of these soldiers is admirable. Mental health is often overlooked, but I appreciate knowing someone takes care of them in that regard."

"Of course, mental health is just as important as physical health. Disorders, illnesses and lack of care of the mind are sometimes far stronger than any physical illness and my job is to understand and help those afflicted. No mind goes unexplored and undiagnosed under my watch."

There was a flicker of caution among Optimus' features, the small little neutral edge of his mouth, unseen by the rest but she had enough experience with humans and cybernetic beings alike to recognize when someone was hiding something. It seemed Optimus didn't like the idea of his mind being prodded at. A trauma perhaps? Or a secret? A warfront abnormality? A personal one? So many questions and Jacqueline knew better than to linger...but who else would ever be able to see beyond the good guy persona? Something had to be behind that smile, and she desperately wanted to know what it was. And Optimus seemed to know what she wanted.

"An honorable profession." The Prime merely nodded afterwards, a sign of his refusal to yield to her curiosity. He was about to turn back to his conversation with Lennox when she refused to be ignored.

"And one who specializes in Cybertronians as well," she simply replied, not a twitch or a hint of any ulterior motive.

Lennox and Jacob couldn't know the expression at heart, but she did. Optimus was warning her as his brows were neutral, and his smile had merged to a basic horizontal line. Of course, one downside to the Autobot was his nice personality...her edge to get him to consider her unspoken request. He wouldn't turn her down; he was too polite.

"I will certainly keep that in mind for any future consulting any one of my Autobots may need. Thank you, Jacqueline." Don't push your luck.

She merely retorted, "My door's always open."

She walked away without another word. The invitation was sent. Now, it was the waiting game. She knew Optimus would test her. He wouldn't put just anyone in her care without understanding if she was truthful or not, a danger or helpful. He would come to her, and that's when she planned on picking his processor to see if she could glance into unseen territory, into the mind of Optimus Prime.

It took only three days of waiting, anxiety up the roof wondering what she would find. Her sessions with other patients grew compromised, unable to fully focus and listen. She couldn't listen. The war in her head wanting to know but unable to see was driving her mad. She needed to know Optimus Prime, the breakthrough of all time! There had to be something-

"You need to stop," Jacob warned.

Her obsession didn't go unnoticed. Ever since that meeting, her brother was worried, the first time he had done so in over a year other than worrying about himself. He said that as she was writing down the results he told her a second prior about the new medicine, stable yet gave him insomnia. Jacqueline halted the notes for the results for the new medicine Jacob took as he told her. That caught her off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"You need to stop. Don't think I haven't noticed it."

"Noticed what?"

"Optimus Prime," he emphasized with distaste. "You can't be dwelling on whatever demons he may or may not have, don't think I didn't notice your prompting before. I'm warning you-"

"I'm an adult, not a little girl who needs to have her hand slapped from reaching into a candy jar. Your opinion is duly noted but as a psychiatrist, it is my job to help people, Optimus Prime included," she snapped back.

Jacob shook his head, "Unless he doesn't want to be helped if there even is anything wrong with him. Take it from a patron of psyche breakdowns; you start making people go places they don't want to, you're going to start something you might not be able to stop. You've worked with people with PTSD, Jay-Jay, how they describe the moments and the causes...but have you actually seen them when they break? I have. Some of them are fine for the longest time. But when something invades their comfort zone, it's like the war never ended, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of that when the walls come crashing down."

Jacqueline huffed, "Optimus doesn't have PTSD, but he has something he won't talk about."

Right as she was leaving to submit her notes to the on-base pharmacy, Jacob grabbed her arm roughly, almost leaving a bruise in his wake. She glared down at him, but he didn't budge.

"You tread in the trenches, don't expect not to get shot at when you try to get yourself out...even from friendly fire."

She ripped away from his grasp and didn't say another word, walking out of their private room to the desk of the medical officer in charge with the doctors behind the counter and dropping off her notes. When her phone made a funky noise for a message coming in, she quickly checked it before halting mid-step.

I need a moment to talk to you in your office. – Optimus Prime

Jacqueline grinned like a hyena. Optimus Prime was hers at last. It was time to put on a show and make him talk about his feelings, a psychiatrist's wet dream.

She almost caused two crashes driving to a parking garage not far from her building and ran to it excitedly, past the large entrance doors for Transformers. She slowed down when she realized how it made her look. Readjusting her black pinstripe suit jacket and making sure her matching pencil skirt was smooth and presentable, she took the elevator to the third floor to gain access to her higher section of office to be on a similar level of the towering Autobot leader. Her office had five levels of platforms for the convenience of such patients up to a hundred feet tall. Anyone larger had to go to a specialized section outside in the complex's private gardens. She only had three patients that exceeded such limitations.

She entered her office, walking past the desk she had for that level to see Optimus Prime himself sitting casually in the big chair looking at the giant fish tank that spanned from the fourth level downward. Fish sometimes helped people relax, and Optimus was entranced by it as he watched the fish go about their lives unbothered.

"Optimus, a pleasure to see you here. What can I do for you?"

The Prime was still entranced by the tiger oscars that roamed as well as the other cichlids and arowanas that made their way around a large, hollow Sequoia tree stump with arched roots they could hide among. He tore his gaze away finally to give a decent nod of acknowledgement.

"Dr. Jacqueline, you said your specialty was Cybertronian mental health, but I am uncertain that the aftermath of mental scars of the conflict we had faced for hundreds of thousands of years could be tamed by human practices. No offense, of course."

He was testing her, she sensed. She could play those games too. "None taken. I just noticed my talents worked well on the war-stricken individuals like the humans who fought beside you and those who faced conflicts overseas like my brother. I guess I just have a small advantage in a way."

"While I commend you for going above and beyond, I'm afraid I need to ask you to be careful. In war, especially planet-wide, various things can occur that are best left unspoken."

"Oh," she said, playing dumb, "well, like what? What would be a decent example I should avoid just in case I come across it?"

If she played her cards right, he would sing to her at least something she could piece together about what ailed him so. She sat at her desk and brought out a pencil and paper from her case bag discreetly while Optimus turned away for a brief second to look at the fish tank again.

Optimus shook his head, "I am no stranger to war, Jacqueline, even long before the one that consumed our planet into darkness. It changes many, most of whom could have never prepared themselves for the horrors that plagued their once peaceful lives. But out of all the wars and conflicts we have ever faced, Megatron's persistence was most deadly."

"So, Megatron, he was the root of this problem?"

"He was a problem. His pride and greed overran his sense of unity and fairness, plunging our way of life into a spiral we couldn't stop no matter what we tried. The wounds he left can never be healed, never mended. So many people still fear him today. If you were to council them, you may find more than just the marks of war, which is why I urge you with utmost caution not to divulge farther than you can handle. The price of knowledge is not always worth the pain."

Jacqueline let half those words slide through one ear and out the other. She had done this for years. Not even the horror stories of war had ever fazed her. So, she found herself asking without remorse, "That sounds like projecting. How did the war make you feel?"

"Doctor...you shouldn't-"

"But when's the last time you talked to someone, Optimus? Someone willing to listen? You seem to have a lot on your chest. I can listen when no one else will. I'll do this free of charge, no hurry, no complications, and nothing will leave this room."

His expression grew unsettling though it was hardly noticeable. She didn't know what it meant though, that was the biggest concern. His optics narrowed, not like he was testing her anymore, but as if he was scanning for the truth or understanding her position in the actual statement. When his optics flickered a little too quickly of a gaze around the room for any unwanted ears, she knew there was something he wanted to get off his chest, but she was unsure if it was meant to ever be known.

He frowned, "I ask that you reconsider-"

"No," she demanded without realizing the unwise tone slipped out, "you want proof I can handle those like you? Here's your chance to show me."

His optics briefly caught sight of the notepad, but his expression was now unreadable even more so. It fascinated Jacqueline more and only piqued her curiosity about what he hid that he didn't want to leave this room. He finally relented with plenty of hesitation, a colder stance than before but he indulged her.

"The war between the Autobots and Decepticons wasn't just a planetary-wide battle spanning thousands of years; it was the conflict of admittance between two people who couldn't see what they had done. Megatron is well known as the instigator, and he was. But there is a second side to this story, one that had never come to light because everyone was so focused on Megatron becoming twisted and rageful.

"When I was Orion Pax, I wanted to know all about the gladiator known at the time as Megatronus, named after the fallen Prime himself. Alpha Trion once told me his biggest regret was condemning Megatronus Prime to a life filled with hatred, cursed to roam a dark world and turned into a monster. I remember what he thought about Megatron, a repeat of history would be upon Cybertron. I thought it meant Megatron would cause an uprising in Megatronus Prime's name...I was wrong."

Jacqueline scribbled as many notes as she could following the story. "So, you misinterpreted your mentor's words and went to confront Megatron? What were you feeling then?"

"I admit I was more curious than anything; I wanted to know the mind behind the mutiny afoot, so I did my research on what Megatron had planned. I saw a different side of things. Megatron wanted to take out the caste system and bring a new order to Cybertron where everyone would be equal, no class divisions and no assigned roles in society. His speeches were noble, his points fair and truthful, but I wanted to see firsthand what he was like to determine if he spoke falsehoods or truths. I met with him upon request, and that's when everything took a turn for the worst..."

"He used you?"

Optimus huffed, "No, Doctor, I used him."

That...wasn't what she heard and never once did she ever think the proud and noble Optimus Prime would be responsible for the war. Everyone saw Megatron as the enemy but if there were two instigators, that would shatter many idolizations and ideologies centered around the Autobot leader, the bot everyone looked up to.

"I should have left him alone, let Megatron do what he needed to, and the bloodshed wouldn't have occurred. They said the most valuable trait in an archivist is the ability to ask questions. I was a fool. Among my prodding of Megatron's true intentions, I awoke something within him, something dark as I began to point out more ways to take on such a system and take control. I didn't realize what I was doing was opening Megatron's mind to consider alternative possibilities to ensure his dream would become a reality even if it meant taking it by force.

"Megatron grew determined and crueler in his methods while I encouraged it until I saw him try to take on those who opposed him. His anger was too much to bear. I thought I could help him by being the negotiator, but I only sparked his hatred when people began turning to me instead. We were friends once. We began drifting apart after that with Megatron's trust in me broken and his lust for power growing. When I talked to the Council after his failed attempt to gain the Matrix of Leadership, he believed I stole it from him, and now I see that, in a way, he was right."

Jacqueline paused as she pieced together what he was implying. "Wait...wait, so you mean to tell me that the war was your fault? Megatron was right? You basically started this whole conflict which led to the death of your world which brought it to ours because Megatron wanted all the Energon deposits here stored away by your Autobots, because you wanted to correct what you did. You're the reason our world went through hell? Why so many humans died fighting beside someone they trusted not realizing they had helped the one bot responsible for all their troubles? You want to tell me this whole situation could have been avoided had you not gotten involved with Megatron out of your naïve curiosity?"

Optimus didn't answer, his mouth a grim line upon his already stoic features. Jacqueline started to tense, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Something in his demeanor changed, subtle but there; it was unknown and, dare she believe, dangerous. The room was not right; even the fish began to retreat from the glass sensing something wrong.

This was forbidden knowledge, but she was beginning to regret knowing. Everything she had known about Optimus Prime was a lie. He wasn't this war hero that did everything in his power to save Cybertron from Megatron; he was the whole reason Megatron did what he did and went mad along the way. Even though he tried to correct his mistake, the damage had already been done. So many Cybertronian and human lives were gone because of him.

Suddenly, he said, "You asked me how I felt earlier...I shall tell you. I was glad to help Megatron achieve what he wanted. I grew horrified of what I had done only after the consequences were laid bare. And when I look back on it now despite some regrets, I don't think it could have been done any other way."

She froze, "You mean, if you had the choice going back, you'd let all this happen again?"

With a straight face and a hint of malice, Optimus replied, "Megatron has become our tolerated ally and both our world and yours thrive in unity now, working alongside each other to survive. If I didn't confront Megatron, would everything have worked out as we hoped? If I didn't stir Megatron's true nature, there could have been an even worse fate for both our worlds as Unicron is the core of this planet therefore Earth was tied to Cybertron regardless. We would have come here anyways."

"You didn't answer the question-"

"Yes, I would have."

Silence was between them for the longest time. Jacqueline hated the answer and didn't know how to feel about that. It made her uneasy to think the person responsible for a decent number of human lives being eviscerated was the trusting and wise Optimus Prime. If anybody knew...

"You seem ill, Dr. Jacqueline. Is everything alright?"

She didn't want to answer. "Yes, just processing this is all."

"The war was alright," he stalled. Why, Jacqueline couldn't answer. "Watching my brethren die hurt but their sacrifices weren't in vain. If they could see the worlds we created, I think they would have agreed on the necessities to bring us here. Humanity is our greatest ally; it has a lifeline of security with us."

And you won't mess that up.

The shift of tone, extremely unnerving, as he glanced at her made Jacqueline want to leave, "Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing. I did what I had to do, and I don't feel as bad as I should seeing what we managed to accomplish through the war. Cybertron and Earth are satisfied and safe...and I intend to keep it that way."

Jacqueline realized she was staring and quickly gathered her papers, coughing, "W-Well, Optimus, this was a very intriguing session. If you, um, ever want to talk more about it, my doors are always open."

Optimus didn't move as he said, "I'm afraid this will be the last time we meet with such regards. While your job is extraordinary, I unfortunately must reconsider your employment of working with my fellow Autobots. I do hope you understand."

"No Autobots, got it," she laughed uneasy, gathering her notes.

She saw in the corner of her eye Optimus was heavily staring at them and then her. A dreadful feeling plagued her. She barely spoke to him on the way out as she placed her notes into her case bag.

"It was nice having you, but I must go," she said trying to keep her cool. "Have a good evening, Optimus."

"Likewise," the Prime said abnormally low, still glaring at her.

As she left her building, she quickly dialed Jacob. It rang three times, her paranoia growing as she passed Transformers and humans on the sidewalks and driving by like a typical day in paradise. It was a paradise they didn't know was forged from unethical bloodshed.

"Come on, come on, Jacob!"

"Hey, Jay-Jay," Jacob finally answered, "look, this isn't a good time-"

"Jacob, I need to talk to you privately."

His tone grew saddened, "Well, that can't happen."

She paused next to a street corner just behind a crowd of people waiting for the light to cross towards the parking garage her vehicle was stationed at. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Less than two minutes before you called, I just got the notification that you've been banned from the premises per Optimus' orders. Dr. June Darby, Optimus' partner, will be taking over psyche evaluations until a suitable replacement for you has been found. When we are told these things, one of the downsides to the military is you have to consider every action for the cause even if you don't believe in it. I warned you, Jay-Jay, and now I can't help you."

"Wait, Jacob, do you know about Optimus'-"

An abrupt gunshot on Jacob's end and the collapse of a body and the phone with faint footsteps nearby had Jacqueline horrified, whispering out her brother's name. He didn't respond but someone grabbed his phone and shattered it as a brief bang on the floor was the last thing she heard before it was cut off within the same second. She stood there shivering, unable to process what had just happened or what emotions she was supposed to convey. Her brother was dead from a secret she possessed that seldom people knew, all except one were supposed to know.

She sprinted into the garage, uncaring how badly the motion hurt her feet in heels. She had run previously with eagerness. She was now running in fear for her life. Her car turned on from her trigger on her keychain once she got close enough and she jumped in throwing her case bag into her passenger side. Quicker than Blurr in a street race, she put the sucker in reverse and nearly swung out to get as far away as possible.

When she whipped around a corner in the garage, she nearly screamed as a red semi-truck with a familiar insignia on its grill roared towards her. The ceiling was just barely big enough for him. Jacqueline slid to a halt and frantically sped backwards right before Optimus could ram her. He struck the cement curve of the wall, scratching his long nose left side as he tried to turn in a fury most shocking. The poor concrete was left devastated while the Cybertronian armor of the vehicle had less destructive dents and marks. What stunned her the most was how fast he could go in such a short amount of time.

Their chase ran up the second story of the garage and made its way up to the third. She tried to multitask and call for help only to find her phone's signal jammed. If she didn't find a way to outflank him and go back down, she would essentially be hit or fall off the garage roof level. She diverted off the path to back over some empty parking spaces but got stuck over the bumper blocks that damaged her axles. Panicked and terrified, Optimus swung around from a distance to aim for her. She grabbed her case bag and unlatched her seatbelt right as he floored it at her.

At the very last second, Jacqueline managed to roll out as her car's front was smashed, crippling it into an accordion with a nasty sound effect. Parts went flying as she crawled out of view of Optimus' vehicle form that continued forward until crushing the remainer of it against the wall, uncaring if a few loose pieces went over the edge. His tires were hardly fazed by the bumpers, breaking several of them in the process.

Jaqueline remained still hidden behind a low riding Ford before glancing out shaken to see if Optimus thought she was dead. Suddenly, his mirrors moved rapidly to scan for any visual of her. He knew she wasn't in the vehicle. His vehicle form had stalled with all its noise going silent once he had destroyed her car, and she didn't realize it until the boom of his engine roared to life again and startled her. When he pulled away from the flattened car, the front of his grill with flakes of her car paint and dents from the impact were present, headlights blaring. Slowly, the truck rolled forward with smoke pouring from stakes adorning his cab.

She didn't know how far she crawled, tearing off her heels so she could tread easier and without noise. She had to get the notes to a media outlet or something. The world was relying on the wrong mech who was now out to kill her. She had to. Once, she believed in patient-doctor confidentiality, but this was too much. This was the equivalent of a war crime and would probably be treated as such.

Optimus circled around, engine loudly echoing in the garage. Jacqueline waited for him to be farther down so she could run to the stairwell. She knew when she did, he would see her regardless of what direction he faced. If he was on the opposite side, that bought her time to escape. The sound of him intentionally hitting a few parked cars to frighten her almost worked had she not already planned on fleeing anyway.

Jacqueline ran. Tires halted as she zoomed down the staircase. The echoing squeals of tires and cars being hit made her wince as she made it to the base floor. Running out into the open, she was nearly struck by a passing cab who yelled at her. They had no passenger, so she quickly jumped in.

"I'll pay you whatever you want! Just get me the hell out of here!"

The cabbie didn't need to be told twice. She breathed a sigh of relief as she was taken several blocks away, holding her face in her hands.

"Is there any particular place you need to go? Or should I go to the police?"

No, if Optimus had a hit out for her brother as soon as she dipped out of her office, he was smart enough to have the police tipped off. She would be marked a criminal with classified information. The nearest news outlet was downtown in Lyland District, a twenty-minute commute via any vehicle other than train. She had no choice.

"Lyland District, Charlotte Street Plaza."

"On my way."

Jacqueline sat there for ten minutes tormented by the feeling she was being watched. She kept an eye out for any trucks, distant between roads or behind them. She was too frightened to even think about stepping out of the cab. The road to Lyland was not kind as driving through the Tenements was the direct route to it. They drove through it in no time but at least Jacqueline could give herself a moment to regain her thoughts.

HOOOOONK

"Holy shi-!"

She barely had time to register what was happening when all she saw was headlights and a massive grill. The car was struck hard. She cried out as it rolled numerous times, windows shattering and glass flying everywhere including across her face and suit. By the time it slowed to a halt, rolling onto its roof, Jacqueline merely whimpered as blood ran down her forehead through her hair to the ceiling below. She struggled with her seatbelt as the driver's side was bent inward and the cabbie's body hung like a ragdoll. Hitting her head against the roof, she made sure her case bag was strapped to her as she crawled out sobbing as glass dug into every patch of skin in her hands, knees, and feet. Standing up was hell.

Headlights glared at her as she whimpered, but Optimus didn't budge except for a brief tire screech and moving an inch or two. He was taunting her. He wanted her to run. It became obvious that even if she gave the news outlet or anybody her notes, no one would believe the truth. He knew this, but he couldn't let her continue living with the knowledge in case she found evidence otherwise.

Jacqueline screamed as she bolted despite the pain as the dusk made the streets empty. She didn't hear him transform, but she retreated just out of reach when a black and blue servo hit down where she was at a second prior from an alleyway gap, digits scraping against the asphalt with ill intentions.

"Jacqueline," he hissed, "don't run! I don't want to hurt you!"

His innocent Optimus bravado was not fooling her. Pieces of buildings ruptured above her as he clambered over them in pursuit. She ran across the street to an open field of an old high school long shut down as he jumped down and transformed.

Her phone rang. She hid as his vehicle mode drove around the block and reluctantly activated it. She brushed her hair tainted with sweat and blood as she listened, her breath stalling.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be, Doctor. There's nothing wrong with a couple of sacrifices if it's for the greater good. You strive to make life better for people, then do it."

"Humans don't start conflicts that turn into massive wars for the greater good!"

"You already have. Earth's definition of the greater good varies on country, religion, and morality, but every single one of you have done what you saw as right and so many people died because of it, still do. I'm just preserving my end, and I won't let you hurt people to prove a point."

Optimus was deranged. He thought he was being the good guy. He was no better than Megatron-

Tires tearing up grass and dirt alerted her, and she barely dodged his attempt to run her over from the side, hitting the wall with a groan of his engine. Jacqueline looked back as she ran to the old gym to see him running after her. This time, he had no problems storming through the building, sliding unintentionally on the slick basketball court as he tried to swipe at her growling before pulling out his gun. She winced and tripped as blasts exploded behind her, one fireball nearly catching up to her but fizzled into smoke.

"Jacqueline!"

She broke through the old door to the outside and saw the Lyland District buildings not far. Using everything she got, she ran for it as her life depended on it. Optimus ripped through the walls of the school, briefly stumbling on all fours chasing her before transforming. She managed to go into the thin alleyways where he couldn't venture.

Small storm clouds that would offer patches of rain were among the darkened skies of dusk fading to complete night. She went through a portion of damaged fencing, ignoring the barks of chained up dogs protecting their residency and made it into the far more glamorous streets of the Lyland District. The news building she sought was only a few blocks down. She began slowing and whimpering, unable to take the shards of glass that were nearly to the bone in her feet as the adrenaline was no longer present among her fear. To her disappointment and misery, the news outlet was closed for the night.

Rain began to pour as she pounded uselessly on the locked doors, at least aiming for sanctuary from Optimus' wrath, but no aid came and the people around her thought she was having a breakdown. A few Minicons and Velocitronians laughed at her despite she was bloody. They thought she had done it to herself. No one batted an eye at her; no one cared.

Defeated after a minute of crying while everyone seemed to cross the street to avoid her, Jacqueline stumbled uselessly in her bare, bloody feet now caked with filth from the streets that she had not a clue what it consisted of. Into the alley, she tried to run but she was too sore now. No one cared when she went into the darkened street of a back road slum section just beyond a fence that separated the district from its lower-class counterpart.

Something big moved behind her and suddenly, headlights appeared again with a truck's engine purring. She stared ahead of her in the same direction as the headlights faced, not wanting to look back. The mind games were done; her agony was fed upon as she looked like a disheveled mess. In a sudden rage, she threw her case bag to the side uncaring as it burst open and all her pages of notes sank in puddles and turned around to face Optimus will no shits left to give, tears leaving various colored stains down her face.

Jacqueline screamed as she tensed miserable, "Come on! I'm not afraid of you!"

She didn't know what Optimus thought of her tantrum but when his lights dimmed, she expected him to talk to her, but all she continued to hear was his engine. No wise speeches, no apologies, no pleasantries...near silence. Even though he was right there, she felt alone in the dark with nothing but a streetlamp somewhere over the fence nearby to have any sort of reflection off his dark form.

"Fuck y-!"

Optimus surged forward and she didn't finish that sentence, the front of his vehicle striking her and pushing her flat onto the ground as he drove over her in less than a second. She lay there unmoving until her breath caught with a loud gasp. The pain was numbing. She heard the beeping of Optimus pulling out of the alley and backing up to turn around.

With every ounce of her strength, she pulled herself to sit up. Her ribs felt like a broken xylophone as they shifted poorly against her organs. She gripped the loose dirt and grime on the asphalt of the alleyway. Slowly, she shifted to glance around hard of breathing with her ears ringing. She could see his outline vaguely, the trauma to her head threatening her vision.

Tires squealed once more. This time he gained speed as he went towards her. She couldn't walk, couldn't run from him. His secret was hers to take to her grave as she barely saw her pathetic reflection lying in the alley coming up fast in his silver bumper at the same level of her head as he hit sixty. She kind of missed seeing the headlights; the darkness was oh so cruel.

"Well-loved psychiatrist, Dr. Jacqueline Harvey, was found in the back alleys of the Tenement dead this morning from unknown wounds. Authorities say there was glass embedded in her hands and feet for unknown reasons, that she had been running with them for some time. Blunt force trauma to the head suggests either a large weapon or a vehicle struck her in the night. Accidental death has yet to be ruled out, but they believe it is a homicide by the unusual nature of the death.

"Residents in the area said they heard her yelling and screaming furiously, 'running around the neighborhood like a lunatic' as one person described. Surveillance around the area picked up nothing of interest except video footage of her running amok. Damage to the old school in the vicinity suggested an explosion of some kind, not ruling out the possibility the creation of drugs maybe having a play in this-"

"Do you know how hard it was to have all those security cameras scrubbed, Prime?" General Morshower said distastefully.

Optimus sighed, "I understand, General, but Dr. Jacqueline had stolen vital information about your operations and her brother was unfortunately in on the scheme. I tried to reason with her, but I had no choice."

"And her brother, Major Jacob Harvey, you said he tried to pull a weapon on one of the confronting officers?"

"That was most unexpected. I had hoped the officers would have approached things differently, but it seems it didn't work out in our favor. A tragic loss but one that must remind us to stay vigilant against any who pretend to be our allies."

General Morshower had a small smile play on his lips as he narrowed his eyes. Optimus merely tilted his head a few inches before the former acknowledged, "Little sacrifices make our countries great and protect our worlds so they can grow stronger. Can't dispute that, can we, Dr. Darby?"

Dr. June Darby walked out on the catwalk to be next to the General and his crew with the case bag that belonged to Jacqueline in her possession. She threw it in a locked bin to be destroyed by certain officials before ushering Optimus to bring himself closer to her. She smirked at her Cybertronian companion.

"No sacrifice, no victory."

His secret was safe, and no one else had to get hurt. In his mind, that was good.

AN: Not going to lie, making Optimus do twisted shit is really fun to write because of the absurdity and the fact that there would be no way he would truly do this...but everyone is willing to hold onto a secret they would kill for. What would Optimus' dirty secret really be if not this?

The reason I update this fic so slow is because I have projects that require more attention but rest assured once I complete them, I will focus very heavily on this series.