Cassie woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring once again. She groaned and smacked the snooze button harder than necessary. Another day, another opening shift, she thought, rubbing her eyes. The daily grind was starting to wear her down, especially with everything happening at the Autobot base. It was hard to focus on mundane things like work when there was an intergalactic war raging around her.
Before leaving, she decided to check on Hot Shot. He had taken a beating in the recent battle, and she wanted to make sure he was okay before heading to her shift. The guilt of his defeat and being deceived by Sideways still weighed heavily on him, even if no one blamed him.
As she walked into the repair bay, she saw Hot Shot staring at the sky through the base's windows, lost in thought. His usual fiery spirit was noticeably dimmed.
"Hey, Hot Shot," Cassie called softly.
Hot Shot turned to face her, his optics lighting up slightly. "Oh, hey Cassie."
"How are you holding up?" she asked, her voice full of concern as she approached him.
Hot Shot shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'll be fine. Just... wish I'd seen through Sideways earlier. I let everyone down."
Cassie shook her head. "You didn't let anyone down. We've all been fooled at some point, but the important thing is you're still here, still fighting. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Hot Shot smiled faintly at her words. "Thanks, Cassie. That means a lot."
Satisfied that he was doing better, Cassie gave him a reassuring smile before heading out. "You take care, alright? I'll check on you after my shift."
"Will do," Hot Shot replied, watching her leave with a sense of warmth. Her words had lifted some of the weight off his shoulders.
As Cassie made her way to work, she felt the familiar warmth of her bond with Jetfire pulse softly. His presence was always a comfort to her, especially on these long, exhausting days.
"Good morning, sweetspark," Jetfire's voice came through, and she could practically feel the smile in his tone.
Cassie smiled, though her weariness lingered. "Morning, Jetfire. I'm heading into work now."
"You really need to stop working so hard," Jetfire teased. "I might have to come down there and whisk you away so you can rest."
Cassie chuckled. "As much as I'd love that, I still have to pay bills. So, unless you're paying my rent, I'm afraid I'm stuck for now."
Jetfire laughed softly. "Touché, Cassie. But you know I'd move heaven and Cybertron for you."
His words made her heart flutter, and the connection between them pulsed even stronger. It felt like they were growing closer every day.
Meanwhile, back at the Autobot base, things were still tense. The Decepticons had the upper hand after Sideways' betrayal, and the Autobots were scrambling to recover from the loss of the Star Saber.
Starscream's recent victory with the weapon only fueled his arrogance, causing friction among the Decepticon ranks. As he casually flaunted the Star Saber around, provoking Demolishor, Scavenger watched silently from the shadows. His keen optics caught every subtle movement, every brewing conflict, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the Decepticons' arrogance led to their downfall.
Cassie's day dragged on, as usual. The customers were rude, her coworkers were unhelpful, and the hours seemed to tick by at a snail's pace. The only thing keeping her going was the occasional message from Jetfire, who checked in on her throughout the day.
"Cassie," Jetfire's voice broke through her thoughts again as she cleaned up the store. "How are things on your end?"
She sighed, wiping down the counters. "Same old, same old. I can't wait to be done."
Jetfire's tone shifted, becoming a bit more playful. "Well, I have a surprise for you when you get back."
Cassie perked up, curious. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"
"You'll just have to wait and see." His voice was full of mischief, and Cassie could feel her excitement growing.
After what felt like an eternity, Cassie finally finished her shift and made her way back to the Autobot base. As she entered, she noticed an unfamiliar figure standing in the main area—tall, imposing, and definitely not someone she had seen before.
She immediately froze, her eyes widening in surprise. The figure had an air of authority and confidence, but his colors and design screamed Decepticon. Her instincts flared with alarm, and she quickly reached out through her bond.
"Jetfire, there's a Decepticon here at the base!"
Before Jetfire could respond, Optimus's calm, reassuring voice called out to her. "Cassie, it's alright."
Cassie turned to see Optimus approaching her, his expression gentle. "He's not a threat. This is Scavenger."
"Scavenger?" Cassie echoed, confused. "But... isn't he a Decepticon?"
Optimus smiled slightly. "He was, but he was acting as a spy. He's been feeding us information the entire time."
Cassie blinked, stunned. She looked at Scavenger again, this time with a new perspective. "You were spying on the Decepticons?"
Scavenger crossed his arms and gave a small smirk. "Yeah, and now I'm back where I belong—with the Autobots."
"That's... really cool," Cassie admitted, her surprise shifting into admiration.
Optimus chuckled. "I thought you'd appreciate that. Scavenger will be working with us from now on. We can trust him."
Cassie nodded, still processing the revelation. "Wow... I had no idea."
Scavenger gave her a nod before heading off to speak with the others. Cassie turned back to Optimus, her heart racing from all the excitement.
"I'll leave you to it," Optimus said, his optics softening. "And if you need anything, you know where to find me."
Cassie smiled at him. "Thanks, Optimus."
As she headed back to her quarters, her mind raced with everything that had happened. The betrayal of Sideways, the arrival of Scavenger, and the intense battles that were still looming on the horizon... it was a lot to take in.
Cassie couldn't shake off the excitement of the day as she made her way back to her quarters. Scavenger—a former Decepticon, now an Autobot spy? It felt like something out of a movie. She still wasn't sure how she felt about having someone who had been so close to Megatron now standing among them, but if Optimus trusted him, she knew she had to trust him too.
As soon as she stepped into her room, she reached out through the bond to Jetfire. The warmth of his presence flooded her mind, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her, even amidst the lingering adrenaline from the day.
"Jetfire, you'll never guess who showed up at the base today," Cassie said, practically bursting with the news.
"Who?" Jetfire responded, the curiosity evident in his tone.
"Scavenger. He's been a spy for the Autobots this whole time! He was working with the Decepticons, but apparently, he was on our side from the start."
There was a momentary pause before Jetfire responded, a knowing chuckle escaping through their bond. "Scavenger, huh? Well, that's not too surprising to me."
Cassie blinked, surprised. "Wait, you knew about Scavenger?"
Jetfire's voice was warm with amusement. "Let's just say Scavenger and I go way back. He was never really loyal to Megatron. In fact, he's the one who trained Optimus to fight. Scavenger's always been more of a freelancer, never aligning with one faction for too long, but his loyalty to Optimus was never in doubt."
Cassie was floored. "He trained Optimus? That's incredible! No wonder Optimus trusts him so much."
"That's right," Jetfire continued. "Scavenger was one of the best fighters on Cybertron back in the day. When Optimus was still young and learning the ropes, Scavenger taught him everything he knows about combat. He's a tough mentor, but there's no one better."
Cassie sat down on her bed, taking it all in. She had no idea Scavenger had such a deep connection to Optimus. It made her feel a little more at ease, knowing that someone with that kind of history and training was now on their side.
"I feel so much better now that you've told me that," Cassie said, her voice full of relief. "I wasn't sure about him at first, but now it makes sense."
