(Please see all previous disclaimers)
Optimus soon made his way just outside the base, as his spark led him there. It didn't take him long to spot Aquaformer. She wasn't using her invisibility and she was covered in the other mech's energon. She looked lost and forlorn. Since she had cooled off, her optics were back to their normal blue, though Optimus had never seen and was unaware Aquaformer was the rare femme whose optics turned black when fully enraged. Optimus carefully approached her, now that he had seen what she was capable of.
Aquaformer heard a sound and spotted her mate coming towards her. She knew she was a mess, including all the mech energon she had on her frame. When she caught his optics, she looked down and away, ready to be yelled at and worse. Optimus saw that and grew concerned. She acted like she was expecting to be fully hurt for what she did – and not just hurt but physically hurt. Optimus didn't like that, but he had to maintain his Prime persona. "Soldier, tell me why you attacked a fellow Autobot" Optimus demanded to know in his most Prime tone.
Aquaformer lowered her helm and sighed before beginning her tale. She told of the emotional scarring and physical mistreatment Stealth had done to her when she was young. How he had made her life a living hell and made sure that no matter where she turned, no one would listen to her or believe that she was being mistreated. They would believe Stealth that Aquaformer was doing this all to herself even though Stealth knew he was the cause of all this. How he relished tormenting her and isolating her from other bots. Friends she would try to make would be told to leave her be or suffer like she did. Stealth even encouraged other mechs and femmes to do whatever mean things that they wanted to to Aquaformer. She had finally snapped. "Kill me if you have to, Prime, but this is one time where Stealth finally received the punishment he was due" Aquaformer answered, stunning Optimus. He hadn't expected to hear such cruelty being thrown towards Aquaformer.
"I can't and won't kill you, Aquaformer, but you will spend a few days in the brig" Optimus stated, wanting to hug his suffering mate, but refusing to do so at the time.
"That is a price I can pay, Prime" Aquaformer replied, also wanting to hug her mate, but didn't dare, fearing he would do something to her. Instead, she carefully stood up to her full height, which was as tall as Optimus, and then headed in, heading straight for the brig. Her mate at least let her live, but that didn't mean he would accept her as a mate after this.
Optimus was left outside, alone and stunned. He wasn't sure what to do. Aquaformer had atracked a fellow Autobot, but from what she said, she had valid reason. Optimus needed to find out if her story was true. And the first place to start was with Optimus. And so while Aquaformer sat in the brig, Optimus began his fact finding mission. He needed to make sure what his mate told him was true, and the first place to start was in the med bay, with Ratchet.