TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED
Re:Animated
Rewrite of 'Grey Matter, Silver Lining'.At the same time as Megatron reawakens, a woman falls to earth and Sari manages to convince her father to let her become her nanny. Emma doesn't talk much, and certainly isn't saying she knows them from a cartoon! But when the All-Spark shatters, it makes her question everything . . .
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Starcrossed
This is the calm before the coming storm,
This is the red sky morning without warning now,
This is the fight that we've been waiting for,
And there's no sense in running,
The hammer's coming down . . .
— Nickelback
A lone figure glided down the street on rollerblades down a street in Detroit, jumping over the uneven parts in the road, before stopping and doubling back.
Emma then stopped again, as the blue light rose up out of the pavement, and drifted towards her.
"What if I say no?" She asked it, somewhat testily.
It responded by being absorbed quickly into her chest.
She groaned.
Eight Million Years Ago . . .
"I dunno how they expect there to be anybody still living in this place." The black, blue, and white mech muttered, as they made their way through the barren landscape - there were so many ups and downs in these ravines and craters that they couldn't transform, and were forced to go on foot. "With the enemy occupying the main planet, I'd be very surprised if there are any rebels still left on this moon."
She turned to him, and said: "Why, Black Ice, are you doubting our best friends' intel.?"
He smiled slightly, but didn't say anything about it again, instead choosing to say: "Well, whatever; we're about to head underground - let's get this over with so we can get back."
"What? Don't you like travelling to these far-flung planets and their moons in search of precious treasure with me?" She asked him.
"I feel like that should be my line." Black Ice replied honestly. "You haven't been the same since your meeting with the High Council over what happened on Rockface Planet, and that was over a million stellar cycles ago . . . "
"Don't you dare tell me to let it go!" She exclaimed, her fingers burning into the rock that she was using to swing herself up over a ledge with. "It's like … it's like they just instantly forgot everything good that I've ever done and … and … it wasn't just me, it was him … you weren't there, you didn't see it, Black Ice . . . " She looked troubled, as her gaze drifted up to the sphere that was visible in the black expanse above them. "And, I don't want you to see what happened when I faced that mech … it was weird . . . "
"Well, we haven't run into him the last couple of hundred times," Black Ice pointed out, also looking up. "That's what makes me think that nothing's gonna happen this time, you know?"
"Don't say that — " She began, just as a communication came through to them both.
"Abort-mission!" Their best friend said in a rush, but they could understand him perfectly - millions of stellar cycles of friendship could do that to you. "I-repeat-abort-mission! Get-to-the-nearest-Space-Bridge-and-do-not-wait-for-us!"
"What's happened?!" She and Black Ice cried at the same time.
A new voice came over both of their com. links. "The 'Cons have just taken out three fifths of the resistance, there was nothing that we could do. We're falling back!"
"What about Sandstorm?!" Black Ice cried. ".C.A.T., what about — ?!"
"He's gone, Ice." .C.A.T. said. She was speaking in a very low voice. "I'm sorry."
"Frag!" Black Ice swore. "No!" His fingers dug into the rocky wall that he was holding on to.
She glanced at him worriedly.
"I'm-more-worried-about-you-two-since-the-'Cons-know-you're-up-there!" The first voice said urgently.
"We're not leaving yet." She said.
"What — ?!"
"Wait!" Black Ice said suddenly. He was looking at her - she had just knelt down and placed one hand on the ground; the other hand, she held up. "Guys … she's doing that thing again . . . "
"That-weird-thing-where-she-hears-if-there's-any-life-left-on-a-planet?!"
"Or, in this case, a moon." .C.A.T. pointed out.
Black Ice just waited.
And, that was when she picked up two things.
From above, a transmission between the two Decepticons who were locked on to their location.
And, from below … the reason why they'd come here.
It was the most beautiful sound in existence.
She would have loved to go down there and make contact with them, especially with the one that she had heard above all others, but . . .
"Straight below us." She pointed down. "There's a group of about six, mixed. Use your Ice Dive. Go get them - bring them to the .T.S.B. as soon as the coast is clear."
Black Ice's optics widened. "Wait, as soon as — "
The sound of their flying foes could suddenly be heard.
Black Ice froze.
"There's only two of them." She said, s then they both looked up.
Two jets flew overhead, before arcing back.
Black Ice then looked back at her. "There's only two because they're Commanders! The only thing worse would be Megatron himself!" He grabbed onto her shoulder. "You can't seriously — !"
She could have reminded him that she was his superior. But, all that she said was: "It makes much more sense for me to go up and you to — " Wait, she couldn't say 'go down' or 'go below' - that wasn't at all what she meant. "Go!" She told him, as a shot of ice was fired at that from the skies, without warning. "Just go! Get that family out of here!"
His optics widened in realisation, and she took that as her cue to grab the nearest overhang to her and jump up, easily dispatching the ice.
As she easily scaled the ravine wall, and reached the top in record time, she focused not on the one that had been firing at them, but on the other one.
"STARSCREAM!"
He immediately transformed, staring down at her with his red optics gleaming . . .
There was a sudden honking sound that dragged Emma back into reality, and she realised that she was blocking traffic.
She immediately got herself off the road, and wondered if she should head back and let Capi know what she had just seen … what she had just remembered . . .
But, then she remembered why she was out in the first place and, so, instead of heading back to the base, she continued on to Mamma Fuyano's . . .
The Autobots were standing on the Elite Guard flagship, and the five non-members of the Elite Guard were all thinking the exact same thing: I'd rather be fighting off Space-Sharks than standing right here!
The four members of the Elite Guard were all thinking something different: Ultra Magnus's mind was on the task at hand, Sentinel's was already coming up with a thousand and one ways that he could blame Optimus for all of this, Honeybee was feeling like she was also in trouble, and Jazz had Gangnam Style stuck in his head.
Ultra Magnus had just finished telling them that they were getting reports of Decepticon uprisings from all along the rim of the galaxy, just like the one from Ironhide that they had just watched.
Jazz stated that it seemed like the Decepticons were finding out that their leader wasn't offline, which is what they'd thought for the last fifty stellar cycles.
Sentinel, of course, took the chance to jump in, and that was the beginning of the end for Optimus Prime and his crew.
"Optimus Prime," Ultra Magnus said. "Prepare your crew for departure in twelve mega cycles."
Optimus looked up quickly. "But, sir, what about the Decepticons on this planet?"
"Sentinel Prime informs me there are no Decepticons on this planet." Ultra Magnus replied.
Bumblebee glanced at Honeybee just then; she was looking at him. Neither one of them looked very happy.
"With all due respect — " Optimus began, but he was cut off by Sentinel.
"You'll get the chance to tell your side of the story in a public inquiry back at Cybertron Command!" He told Optimus roughly.
Honeybee was looking from Sentinel to Optimus, and then at Ultra Magnus. Bumblebee saw her optics flash.
Ultra Magnus ended the conversation by saying that if word got back to Cybertron that Megatron was still online and the All-Spark was destroyed, that it would not only panic the Autobots but embolden the Decepticons around the universe.
It was their duty to quash these rumours.
'I think that it would be foolish to write it off as completely impossible, just because we don't want it to happen.'
Optimus recalled Emma's words at that moment, and briefly wondered at the different ways that she and Ultra Magnus viewed the truth.
He had no choice but to accept what Ultra Magnus was saying, though.
When Optimus and his crew had left, there was a brief moment of silence, and then Honeybee spoke.
"Commander . . . " She began, and something in her tone of voice made Jazz and Sentinel exchange a glance, as Ultra Magnus turned towards her.
"Yes, Honeybee?"
"Why are you not prepared to take the word of some of the beings of this planet into consideration?" She wanted to know, hoping that she wasn't pushing things with what she was saying.
Sentinel immediately spoke up. "Because, as I said yesterday, these organics wouldn't know a Decepticon from a trash-bot!"
Honeybee turned to him. "I was talking to Ultra Magnus!" She said sharply. "You are not the commander, Sentinel Prime!"
"Honeybee." Ultra Magnus said, before a furious-looking Sentinel could say anything. Honeybee quickly turned back to him. "I need you to contact the … the one that you spoke with regarding what happened with the Decepticons."
"Do you mean Emma?" Honeybee said. "The woman who . . . " She glanced at Jazz and trailed off, before looking back at her commander. "Well, who we saw on the monitor?"
Ultra Magnus nodded. "Yes. I need you to contact her and bring her here, whether she will consent to come or not."
"I cannot knowingly abduct a fellow femme!" Honeybee protested.
"Tell her that this is of the utmost importance." Ultra Magnus said firmly. "If it comes to it, then I will go to your location, but try to convince her to come here first."
Honeybee blinked for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, sir!"
They saluted, and then Honeybee left the room.
The second that she was gone, Sentinel turned to Ultra Magnus and said: "Sir, with all due respect, are you actually going to take an organic's word — ?"
"Sentinel Prime," Ultra Magnus interrupted him. "Keep an optic on Optimus Prime, and make sure that he stays on track."
Jazz was watching what was going on, a slight feeling of unease in his chest, for some reason.
Starscream came to all of a sudden, intent on fulfiling his sudden burning desire to get revenge on Megatron for striking him down, but … wait!
"Wait … where is everybody?!" He looked down at his hand. Oh, dear Primus, where is she?! "How did I get here?! I'm picking up any Decepticon energy signals … not even my own!" He realised. "I'm too young to be offline!" Two million stellar cycles ago, I might have thought differently, but things have changed … seriously, WHERE IS SHE?!
Starscream took the opportunity to take a better look at his surroundings (he was on a trash barge, floating down a river in the middle of Detroit).
"All right," he decided. "This obviously isn't The Well Of All Sparks, so I can't be that offline . . . "
He recalled some of what had happened … his energon began to boil.
"But, I'm still on this pathetic primitive planet!" He suddenly transformed. "I swear from here to Cybertron that I will take you offline for this, MEGATRON!"
Capi floated calmly back into the Autobots' base, and was suddenly grabbed out of the sky by Sari.
"They're leaving!" The little redhead wailed.
"What?!" Capi cried, looking up at the stoic-looking Autobots. "Again? By whose order this time?" He asked, even though he already knew.
"By the order of Ultra Magnus." Sentinel said from behind him, and he looked up at him. He stared down at the cybernetic tapir. "I don't see what the big deal is - that organic you hang out with can just take care of her, and let us get along with our business!"
"Wait, why do you say that?" Capi asked suddenly.
"What?" Sentinel blinked. "That the organic that you hang out with can take care of this organic youngling? Well, obviously, because the older one's a femme — "
"Oh, great," said a sarcastic voice from somewhere, and that was when they all realised that Sari had Emma on the phone. Emma sounded absolutely scathing when she said: "So, not only is he a prick, but he's also stuck in the 1950s! Look, I'm sorry to sound like Nani Pelekai, but I'm at work right now, it's literally my first day!"
"You aren't supposed to be starting today!" Capi exclaimed.
"Well, it's a trial day, but at least I get paid for it … also, Capi … please tell them what we discussed about what I can and can't do . . . "
Capi looked up. "You mechs don't get it, do you?" He asked all of them, looking around at them all as Sari clung to him - he was actually still hovering, and so she floated with him, several feet off the ground. "Em can be Sari's nanny and her tutor, but she can't be a parent to her! She only knows basic first-aid. She doesn't know how to make anything except spaghetti bolognese. She can't clean to save her life or any of that stuff that she's supposed to know! Plus, she can't take care of her while she's at work!" He added, placing his trunk over Sari's shoulder.
"Then, we need to find somebody that can." Bumblebee decided.
"Absolutely not!" Fanzone, dressed only in a fuzzy blue dressing gown, crossed his arms and glared at them.
"Aww, come on, they won't be any trouble!" Bumblebee promised.
"You won't even know they're around!" Bulkhead added
Sari peered out skeptically from behind Bumblebee's leg, and held up her phone - she had called Emma back once they'd gotten to the Fanzones' apartment, to save on the cost of the call.
"Why me?" Fanzone wanted to know. He pointed to the phone. "Why can't you do it?"
"Because she can't cook." Bulkhead explained.
"Or, clean." Ratchet added.
"Or, any of that other human stuff that parents have to do." Bumblebee gave Fanzone the thumbs-up. "So, you're number one!"
"Hi-ho, hi-ho! It's off to vork ve go — !"
"Blitzwing, I swear in the name of our glorious leader that if you sing that ONE more time — !"
The two Decepticons and one Cybertronian Tapir burst through the ground where the had dug a tunnel to emerge right beside the Elite Guard flagship.
"Oh, yeah," Pira muttered, eyeing the huge hole that was there. "Nobody's gonna notice that." She then floated up to where the tachyon transmitter was attached to the Elite Guard ship, and paused. "Sorry," she said softly, gazing up at the ship. "I just happened to mention to Megatron that you had one, but he already knew, and, he's very determined to get his message out to all of the Decepticons … so, again, sorry . . . " She said, as she calmly detached the tachyon transmitter using her psychic powers.
"She's … talking to the ship . . . " Lugnut muttered.
"Zat is not just any ship, it is Sigma Supreme!" Hothead-Blitzwing told him angrily, as Pira began to float back down towards them with the tachyon transmitter.
"You think I don't recognise one of the Omega Sentinels?!" Lugnut retorted, just as Pira got back to them. "The tachyon transmitter . . . " He said, somewhat in awe, as Blitzwing suddenly took it from Pira.
"You think I don't know vhat a tachyon transmitter looks like?!" Hothead-Blitzwing snapped.
Lugnut just shoved him back into the hole, tachyon transmitter and all, and then followed suit.
Pira sighed, and slowly followed after them, as Random-Blitzwing began singing again.
"Ehi-ho! Ehi-ho! Die arbeit ist vorbei — !"
"BLITZWING — !"
"No! You'll destroy the transmitter! Lugnut,calm down!"
Lugnut plummeted from the sky into a deserted part of the pine forest outside of the city. His devastating punch attack created a large crater, but he still wasn't calm, and used the punch again to make an even bigger crater, and then another.
Pira, hovering behind a protective pink semi-transparent shield with the tachyon transmitter, just watched in silence, although she got the the sense that they were being watched.
Blitzwing then stepped up to the edge of the crater that Lugnut had just created.
"Actually," Random-Blitzwing said. "Now zat I look at it . . . " He pointed. "I think ze swimming pool would look better over zere!" He gestured.
Pira noted the way that Lugnut's optic narrowed, and she sighed. "Let's just get this thing back to Megatron before he has to come looking for us!" She suggested, and that was enough for both Blitzwing and Lugnut.
They headed back to the Decepticons' base, not knowing that they were being followed . . .
Back at the Decepticon's underground base, as Isaac (who had been forced to make signal dampeners for the Decepticons) watched on in silence, Lugnut presented the tachyon transmitter to Megatron.
Pira, Blitzwing, and Lugnut had all agreed between the three of them to not tell Megatron about their little detour. It would be better that way for everybody.
Pira, who was hovering next to Blitzwing, suddenly paused.
"He's coming." She said flatly.
Megatron glanced at her, and then he looked behind her, as a figure walked out of the darkness.
"Ah," said Starscream. "If it isn't my old pal Megatron … and, by 'old pal', I mean the piece of scum who tried to incinerate me into oblivion in front of my partner!"
Called it. Pira thought, somewhat smugly, as she floated to the side to see what would happen next.
"Starscream . . . " Megatron's voice gave away little of what he was thinking, although even he couldn't keep the tiniest trace of questioning out of the mostly blunt next part of what he said. "You're alive."
"What's the matter?" Starscream asked him. "You look like you've seen a ghost … well, maybe you have!" And, he opened fire upon his former leader.
Megatron somehow managed to dodge all of those shots and with seemingly no effort at all, as he drew his sword and slashed Starscream swiftly across the chest plate.
As Starscream fell to the floor, heavily injured from just that one attack, Megatron stood over him.
"Is that the best you could do, Starscream?" The leader of the Decepticons asked coldly. "Your partner will be better off without the you, who actually believed he could take over as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade." He finished up, before firing upon Starscream point-blank, taking him offline. But, just in case, as he walked past Lugnut, he said: "Make sure he's offline this time."
Lugnut hurried over to Starscream.
Humans would usually have to check for a pulse, and about a thousand and one other things, in this situation. But, for Cybertronians, they had one very quick and easy way to check for signs of life.
Lugnut said: "His spark chamber is empty. His life force has been extinguished."
A brief moment of silence followed this declaration, and then Icy-Blitzwing muttered: "Not zat I care about him, but she is not going to be happy . . . "
"We'll take care of that when the time comes." Megatron replied, in a tone that prompted Blitzwing to shut his mouth up about it. Megatron then said: "Dump that piece of treacherous garbage where it belongs."
It seems that, Pira thought, watching as Blitzwing and Lugnut picked up Starscream's lifeless body without care for their former comrade. Although Megatron does not mind placing a double-agent among the Autobots, or even if an Autobot defects and becomes a Decepticon … he absolutely will not tolerate having a traitor amongst his own ranks … Starscream learned that one the hard way, but I still don't think this is over . . .
Just like before, Starscream came to very quickly, with a cry of: "Prepare to face the wrath of — !" He then stopped. "What am I doing down here?"
'Down here' was, in fact, the river in the middle of the forest. Starscream had no way of knowing that Blitzwing and Lugnut had thrown what they believed to be his corpse over a cliff.
Starscream then happened to look down at his cracked chestplate.
"And why is my spark chamber empty?!" He gasped, as actual panic flooded through him. Where was his spark?! Okay, putting aside all that stuff they said about how your significant other steals your spark when you fall in love, this was actually happening! "Maybe I really am a ghost!" As he crawled slowly over to the bank of the stream, wondering why he was feeling so sore if he was a ghost, something about his reflection caught his attention. "Or maybe something else is keeping me online . . . " Glowing there, on his forehead, right between his optics, was something shiny and blue and … comforting.
'Look, the only thing I'll be telling you about the All-Spark is that it is … like a flame that can't ever go out … and, comforting … and … blue.'
' . . . Blue?'
'Uh . . . '
'So, like … navy blue? Blue-green? Autobot Blue . . . ?'
'I'm not gonna describe it in great detail so that you know what you're looking for!'
'Megatron's the one who's gone looking for it, not me!'
There was no doubt in Starscream's mind what was embedded in his forehead, although he had absolutely no idea how it was possible. "A poece of the All-Spark … indestructible … inextinguishable . . . " He couldn't stop himself from smirking slightly, now. "Which makes little old Starscream … immortal!" Maybe this is why they always say … that one who knows their partner knows their own unlimited power.
That wasn't exactly what they (whoever 'they' were) always said about spark partners but, in Starscream's own mind, he was quite certain that that was at least part of why Primus and the All-Spark had shined upon him. Or, something like that.
For now, he had another pressing matter to take care of.
"Prepare yourself Megatron, you pompous scrap-heap!" Starscream shouted into the night. "For my vengeance will be swift and painful!"
Thanks to the tachyon transmitter, Megatron's message reached out far across the galaxy, to the audio receptors of every Decepticon.
Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader Megatron still lives.
"Thank the oil house." Barricade muttered.
Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose.
"Heh, you got that right!" Brawl said, somewhat cheerfully - he was cheerful, perhaps, because he had just taken out the Autobot Brawl (Brawl was not offline, although he was heavily injured).
The time has come for us to put aside our differences, and act as one under my undisputed leadership.
"There can never be any but our glorious leader, Megatron!" Lugnut's spark partner, Strika, declared.
Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression.
"I hate that oppression." Bonecrusher murmured.
Working together, we can raise up our glorious empire once more, and crush all who stand in our way.
"Yes, finally!" Hissed a violet-eyed Decepticon femme, finally succeeding in pinpointing the exact coordinates of the message's origin. It wasn't too far away, actually - what good luck! "Because I know … that where he is, so is she!" And, she transformed into a jet, and sped off towards her destination, unseen by all.
Megatron was contemplating his next move after the broadcast of his message, as he stood on a cliff overlooking Detroit city.
He was also in a bad mood. Starscream had, somehow, come back twice again that night to try and take him offline - not that he had succeeded, of course, but it was starting to more than annoy the Decepticon leader.
However, and appearance by Pira, and the news that she brought with her, directed his thoughts back to his plans.
"She is in this sector, and is requesting to be of assistance in handling and negotiating with her." Pira said quietly.
Megatron nodded. "If anybody can do that, it is her." He agreed, just as somebody stepped up behind him.
"Personally, I need proof!" Starscream said, and threw a shatter bomb at Megatron.
"Personally, I don't care what you need!" Megatron responded, as he caught the bomb and threw it back at Starscream, where it then decided to detonate.
Pira sighed. "I'll get Blitzwing and Lugnut."
"Just do it yourself." Megatron told her.
"Of course."
For what felt like the hundredth time, Starscream came to quickly, immediately on the defensive, and then he paused, realising that he was back in the river.
"I think … I need … another approach . . . " He realised. "A way to lure that egotistical trash can out into the open, catching him off guard!" It was at this point that the All-Spark fragment in his head fizzled, and then emitted a pinprick beam of light that led him downstream to a truck that had been left there after a construction crew had found the area that they were meant to be clearing nearby already had a huge crater there.
And there, embedded in the truck's trailer, was … another All-Spark fragment!
"Perhaps this might do the trick . . . " Starscream said, as he began to formulate a plan.
High up on the clifftop, Pira watched, and wondered what she should do.
Starscream seems to be being kept online by an All-Spark fragment in his forehead. I should tell Megatron, but … no … for the sake of Starscream's partner, at least … I have an obligation to keep this to myself . . .
"How do you feel about bedtime?" Sari asked Fanzone the next day.
"What?" Fanzone, who was sitting on the swing next to her, blinked in surprise.
"'Cause, I'm not real big on them." Sari admitted. "In fact, I think I should be able to stay up as late as I want, and I'm sure my nanny will agree."
Fanzone raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?"
"Uh, hello? She usually goes to bed at around ten PM or four AM." Sari responded, rolling her eyes. "I also need my own room - that's non-negotiable - oh, yeah, and we should talk about my allowance, because I'm gonna need a big one. I can't get by on a single-guardian wage."
"This is why I hate kids." Fanzone groaned.
"Hey!" Sari gave him a Look. "Don't you have a daughter?!"
"Why do you think she's at boarding school in the UK?" Fanzone shot back.
He didn't really mean it, and Sari knew that.
"Hey, Bee." Honeybee said, as she found her brother, Bulkhead, Prowl, and Ratchet watching Sari interview Fanzone for the role as her 'other guardian'. The Elite Guard femme looked around quickly. Oh no, she's not here! "What's going on?" She asked casually, just as the other four Autobots got a communication.
Because she was standing so close to Bumblebee, however, Honeybee heard it, too.
"Autobots!" Came Optimus's voice."We need to mobilize immediately! The Elite Guard is walking into a Decepticon trap!"
"Why is this our problem?" Bumblebee asked, forgetting that his sister was standing right there. "The Elite Guard has done nothing but bust our solenoids since they got here!"
Only the fact that he was right prevented Honeybee from having a go at him … well, that and her worry for her own team mates right then.
"Doing what's right is more important than our personal feelings right now." Optimus said firmly.
Honeybee felt a wave of respect towards Optimus Prime right then. It's like … everything Sentinel Prime said … really isn't all that true!
"Prime's right!" Ratchet told them. "Let's move it!"
"Wait!" Honeybee grabbed Bumblebee's arm, before he could transform. "Bee! Where is Emma?!"
"Why?" Bumblebee blinked.
"Because Ultra Magnus wants to speak with her." Honeybee said.
"What for?" It wasn't Bumblebee who spoke this time - it was Prowl. The cyber-ninja was gazing at Honeybee, half suspicious and half defensive.
Honeybee chose her words carefully. "Because, believe it or not, she might be the best chance you've got of getting Ultra Magnus to believe you about the Decepticons."
The other Autobots looked shocked. Honeybee didn't blame them. She was still feeling stunned about it all, too.
"She is the only chance they've got!" Capi said, appearing right next to her. "Come on, I'll take you to Emma - the rest of you need to hurry!" He added, as Honeybee transformed and he flew in through the open passenger window.
The Autobots all exchanged a glance, but they knew that Capi was right, and so they transformed and sped off in the opposite direction.
"Where are they going?!" Cried Sari, leaping off of her swing.
"No idea," Fanzone said, as he got up off of his own swing and hurried towards his car, with Sari right behind him. "But I am not gonna let them wreck my city again!"
Man, are my feet sore . . . Emma groaned, as she clocked off. No matter how nice her work colleagues were, no matter how grateful she was to have this job, she was not a fan of working in a kitchen.
"My fingers are wrinkly and I really don't care," she sang, as she left the building and pulled up the hood of her black hoodie - she was also wearing a silver scarf, and ignored the looks that she was getting because it wasn't a cold day. When she got tired, she got cold. "If all of the curls have curled out of my hair!" The steam, seriously!
She didn't notice Miko hurrying out of the restaurant, trying to tell her that she'd forgotten her glasses.
What she did notice was the glowing blue beam of light that was shooting down the road towards her when she turned the corner onto a deserted street.
Emma's eyes opened wide - the light still looked like a blurry ball of just that (light) to her - but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what it was. An All-Spark fragment.
This one must have decided to give her no choice but to accept it, and shot straight into her forehead.
Ten And A Half Million Years Ago . . .
"Look, there she goes."
"She thinks she's so great, but she's really not."
"Yeah, I mean, have you seen her alt. mode? It's not even normal!"
"Is she even an Autobot? I think she might be … a malfunction!"
The usual laughter followed this.
She tried not to let it get to her. She was more disciplined now, after all. She could focus her anger and frustrations elsewhere . . .
"No wonder she's never been in a relationship!"
She froze.
"I bet she'll never got a spark partner!"
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
"Who'd wanna be bonded to her?"
. . .
. . .
. . .
"You are back again."
Her vision was so clouded with anger that she couldn't even see properly. How had she gotten back here after she'd gotten into that fight with those other femmes?
"Your friends brought you to me. They decided that here was closer than your teacher's office."
"You mean they didn't want me to get in trouble." She muttered. Primus bless my friends!
"Are you in trouble?"
"I am if I can't sort my feelings out in a better way."
"I'd say that those femmes had it coming!" The voice of .C.A.T. said pointedly.
"Huh?"
Her eyes had started to clear, and she could make out four sets of bright blue optics.
"Yeah, we're still here." Black Ice said casually.
"We-couldn't-just-leave-you!"
She was very surprised that their usually very speedy best friend was had stayed in one place for so long.
She smiled at him and Black Ice even though she couldn't really see them, and then glanced at .CA.T..
"I heard what they said about you." .C.A.T. was a very pretty black and purple femme - she could have been one of the snobs (the Glitchy Femmes, as Black Ice referred to them as) but she chose to be friends with the unpopular group for whatever reason. "Don't let them get to you - it'll happen. I mean, may Primus have mercy on whoever he or she is, but — "
".C.A.T.-please . . . "
"I mean," .C.A.T. went on. "Those femmes talk like it's happened for them and I know for a fact that they're all still single, so, seriously - don't take it to spark. There's nothing wrong with you."
"Ahem?" The deep and authoritative voice that could only belong to one Autobot came from the room's entrance.
"Except that somebot went and told Ultra Magnus about this." She sighed, immediately recognising who it was despite her still slightly blurry vision - she must have taken a hit to the face, she couldn't really remember it all too well; she had been up against six other femmes, after all. Any one of them could have knocked her out.
"Wait-he-looks-worried — !"
"What?!" She tried to sit up. "Aurgh, my . . . " She tried to place a hand to her forehead … but found that she couldn't. "No! Those glitch-heads stole my arms and my — !"
"I have them here." Ultra Magnus said quietly, holding up her missing body parts. "Now … tell me what happened . . . "
"You … you want to hear my side of the story?"
"Yes. That's the only way that I can get this sorted."
While Emma was recalling this bizarre memory, a number of things happened in very quick succession.
Starscream was to be observed (not that anybody was really looking up) following a passenger train where he had placed the All-Spark fragment that he had found - the fragment was rigged to blow up, of course.
Megatron and Blitzwing, who were flying at a higher altitude, had been following the All-Spark fragment's signal (which Starscream had been hoping for, not that he knew how close Megatron actually was right now) but suddenly noticed that they weren't the only ones.
Ultra Magnus and Jazz were both following the train on the ground, and Megatron also spotted Starscream, realising at once what was going on.
They watched as Ultra Magnus and Jazz were unable to remove the All-Spark fragment from the train, and its energy sent them flying off of the train's roof.
Waiting at the crossroads was Optimus, who had been joined very quickly by the rest of his crew.
He began giving out orders, knowing full well that his earlier actions were still going to have dire consequences. He couldn't think of that now, though.
"Prowl! Uncouple the passenger cars and get the humans away from danger!" He said, as the train sped past, and Prowl swiftly transformed to follow.
"Bumblebee, Sari, try to use the key to pull out that All-Spark fragment!"
"In it!" The two of them said in unison.
"The rest of us will try to slow the engine down!"
"Emma! Emma!"
"Em!"
Emma was startled, and looked around, trying to figure out where she was … and that was when she realised that her absorbing the All-Spark fragment hadn't gone unnoticed after all.
Capi had seen it - that was fine.
But … he was hanging out the passenger side window of a car that was actually . . .
"Honeybee?!" Emma gasped. Even though she's Bee's sister, she's a member of the Elite Guard! What if she tells Sentinel?! What if she tells Ultra Magnus?! I don't know which one would be worse!
Capi suddenly moved back, as Honeybee opened her door the same way that Bumblebee always did with his.
"Get in!" Honeybee urged her.
Emma hesitated.
"She's on our side!" Capi told Emma. "Hurry!"
Emma made her decision, and leapt in, not even noticing when Miko hurried around the corner, although she was too late to catch up with them.
Bumblebee and Sari had managed to use her key to remove the All-Spark fragment, but the train was still going to crash!
That is until Ratchet, who had sped up ahead, used his electro-magnetic powers to stop the train once and for all - with the help of Bulkhead who, anchored by Optimus, had grabbed the back of the train.
"Now that's what I call teamwork!" Bumblebee declared, as he held Sari in his hand and hopped down from the train.
"And nothing got blown up." Fanzone commented, from where he was leaning nearby against his car. "Heh. Now there's a first!"
It was at that point that Ultra Magnus and Jazz arrived.
"Commander," Optimus said, walking over to them once they had transformed. "The All-Spark fragment has been safely recovered." He handed the slightly glowing blue shard to Ultra Magnus, who barely even looked at it.
"What are you doing here, Optimus Prime?" He asked in his no-nonsense tone, referring to the fact that Optimus had, more or less, been placed into custody for - as Sentinel had said - refusing to cooperate.
"Sir, I have reason to believe this was part of a Decepticon trap, and felt it was my duty to warn you." Optimus replied, wondering how he was supposed to explain about how he had seen Starscream by doing a thermal scan.
"Only one problem with that story," Ultra Magnus, his voice rising in a way that it only did when he was very, very angry. "Where are the Decepticons?!"
Up in the skies, Starscream was lamenting about the way that things had gone, and then he unintentionally tempted fate by adding: "This day couldn't possibly get any worse!"
And, that was when Megatron rose up through the clouds, practically glowing red with near unbridled rage.
Blitzwing was with him, a witness to the Decepticon leader's fury.
"I stand corrected." Starscream was horrified. He swiftly arced up and changed direction, and his horror only grew when Megatron (and Blitzwing) transformed and began to pursue him.
"Starscream!" Megatron's voice was audible even from a distance.
"Sorry! You must have me confused with some other harrier jet!"
Back on the ground, it seemed like Optimus's day was about to get worse as well, as Sentinel chose that very moment to show up.
"Optimus Prime," he said, transforming and marching up to Optimus. "You are under arrest for assaulting an Elite Guard officer! Add that to the other charges against you you can just kiss your career goodbye — what the — ?!" He suddenly looked past Optimus, at Sari. "Why is that organic wearing our symbol?!"
Sari felt all gazes turn to her, as she tried to hide the Autobot symbol with her key again, but it was too late. It had been seen.
Ultra Magnus turned to Optimus, and his voice seemed to shake with a quiet fury. "There is a reason why our symbol is never to be worn by outsiders." He was using the kind of voice that you never wanted to hear from him. "You know this."
Optimus had no idea how to explain what had happened, and that Sari - and Emma - exhibited the true qualities of Autobots … sometimes better than actual Autobots!
"Well just add that to the list, won't we Optimus — ?!" Sentinel began.
"Ultra Magnus, sir!" Honeybee's voice interrupted Sentinel, and she suddenly came speeding into view. She transformed swiftly and managed to have Emma held in one of her hands, as Capi floated discretely over to where Sari was. "Here … she's here — "
"It's too late for that, Honeybee!" Sentinel exclaimed. "There is no way Ultra Magnus is going to take the word of an organic —especially another one who's wearing our symbol!"
And, that was when the All-Spark fragment that was in Ultra Magnus's hand, along with the one from the other day, both of which were now glowing brighter than ever, rose up into the air and, as everybody looked on in shock, suddenly floated over to Emma … before being absorbed straight into her body!
She gasped. "Two?!"
Two Million Years Ago . . .
Everything was painfully clear as she and Black Ice rushed through the war zone, moving in perfect synch as they dodged Decepticon attacks and returned fire.
"There's no way they'll still be online!" Black Ice called to her.
"Until I see it for myself, I'm not going anywhere!" She yelled back, leaping up over a Decepticon soldier so that Black Ice could - quite literally - freeze their foe. "Feel free to go back if you want, though!"
"Ha! You think I'm gonna leave you to fight through this army all by yourself?!" He responded, as they got closer to the source of the signal on this rocky planet where the sky was always black and star-studded. "The commander would send me to the stockade and throw away the key - if .C.A.T. and Blurr didn't beat him to it!"
"Wait, over there!" She suddenly cried, and dragged him over to the spot where she could just make out two figures . . .
Black Ice was then yanked away from her, by a particuarly ferocious Decepticon.
She was about to stop and help him, when she recognised what he was about to do to get himself out of the situation, and so she kept on running, until she reached the femme.
Even before she got there, she realised that it end was very near for this femme. Her pink armor was torn, and her blue optics were so dim that they were almost grey.
Blue optics met golden ones, and the pink femme said: "T-ake h-er - my - A-ri-e-l - pro-tect h-er — "
And, there it was, cradled to her . . .
"I will."
The pink femme suddenly shuddered, and then her body greyed and the light went out of her eyes.
"What's happening?!" Black Ice called to her through their com. link suddenly. "We've got a second wave incoming! What's the sit. rep?!" He then added, to the Decepticon who was holding him: "Time for a deep freeze!"
"Black Ice!" She replied through her com. link, somewhat grimly, as she heard the explosion from his devastating ice attack from somewhere behind her. "I know, we need to get out of here! The creator's just gone offline, it was too late for her," she tried to keep the emotion out of her voice, but probably failed miserably. "But the sparkling's still online! I've got her!" She said, as she scooped up the tiny survivor of this massacre of Cybertronian immigrants in her arms.
"Get her to the Space Bridge!" Black Ice responded. "Don't worry about me!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
Emma was jerked painfully back to reality by somebody grabbing her by the scarf and yanking her harshly out of Honeybee's hands.
"Did you all see that?!" Sentinel was pinching her scarf between his fingers, as if he was afraid that she would contaminate him, or something. "This filthy organic just absorbed the All-Spark Fragment! Give it back, right now!" He ordered her.
She couldn't exactly respond, partially because of how she was being held and partially because she was still on some battlefield in a galaxy far, far away.
"Let her go!" Six voice cried out - they belonged to Sari, Prowl, Optimus, Jazz, Bumblebee, and . . .
Honeybee had reached out and grabbed Sentinel's arm. "Sentinel Prime, I can't allow you to do this!"
"Stand down, Honeybee!" Sentinel told her angrily.
"I can't! She's my friend! Plus, it's the very first rule of the Femme Code!" She explained, somewhat shrilly.
"Aurgh, again?!" Sentinel groaned. "I really hate that thing!"
And Emma, who was still tired and trying to figure out these visions and worrying about her loved ones, struggled for a second more, before she suddenly kicked up with her leg, with a lot more power than what she should have been able to. Her foot connected with Sentinel's palm, and he immediately let go of her scarf, as she flipped back, only to be caught by somebody . . .
"It touched me!" Sentinel was exclaiming. "Again!" He then realised that Emma had been caught by Ultra Magnus. He gasped. "S-sir, you shouldn't — !"
Ultra Magnus, who held the Magnus Hammer in one hand and Emma in the other, could only stare.
She stared right back at him.
That is, until something made Emma look away, suddenly - she just looked straight up.
"Uh-oh . . . " Capi murmured.
Sentinel was practically beside himself. He marched right up to Optimus and, pointing at him, said: "This is the worst thing you've ever done! Now what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Optimus, however, had just seen what had captured Emma's attention. His optics widened. "Incoming!" He shouted, as the form of a Cybertronian suddenly fell out of the sky and came crashing down to the ground, just a few metres away from them all.
Ultra Magnus, still with Emma in his hand, automatically placed himself between the other Autobots and this new threat, which turned out to be . . .
"What is that thing?!" Sentinel demanded to know, all but hiding behind Optimus at the sight of the magenta and grey Cybertronian … it even had wings!
"Oh, that's right," Optimus said, somewhat sardonically. "You've never seen one up close - it's called a Decepticon."
Sentinel cringed.
It was at this point that Starscream, once again, came back online, only much more slowly this time.
"Oh no, not again . . . " He groaned. Wait, what's this other feeling . . . ?
"He's online," Ultra Magnus realised, turning slightly to address the other Autobots. "Stand back, everyone!"
Emma's sudden gasp made him turn back around … to find himself face-to-face with one of Starscream's arm-mounted laser guns.
The Decepticon fired point-blank, succeeding in doing two things.
One was rendering Ultra Magnus almost immediately unconscious as he was thrown back several metres, and the Magnus Hammer flew in the opposite direction and hit a nearby slab of concrete that went flying back the other way and totalled Fanzone's car.
The other was that he was able to reach out with his other hand and grab Emma.
The spots where she had already absorbed All-Spark fragments into her body - her chest, forehead, and both wrists - glowed blue.
"Ah, I see." Starscream said. He then turned and began to walk away, with Emma still held firmly in his hand.
"Ultra Magnus is down and the Decepticon's taken a hostage!" Jazz said, and looked at Sentinel. "What's our next move, Sentinel?"
Sentinel suddenly looked so far out of his comfort-zone, that he didn't even remember what a comfort-zone felt like anymore. "Uh - right okay, uh — "
"Ratchet," Optimus spoke up, his instincts immediately kicking into gear. "You and Sari take care of Ultra Magnus! Bumblebee - you and your sister, and Bulkhead, and Fanzone evacuate the humans from the area! The rest of us — "
"Stand down, Optimus!" Sentinel's instincts - to not let Optimus get away with anything - had just kicked into gear. "You've got no right to be telling one of the Elite Guard what to do — "
"This way, please!" Honeybee could suddenly be heard saying calmly, as she shepherded a group of elderly people away from the area. "Keep moving, please!"
"Or to assume command, full stop!"
"Yeah, well some bot has to." Optimus said pointedly.
He and Sentinel glared at each other.
"Hey," Jazz said, quickly getting in between the two of them. He spoke respectfully but with a slight firmness. "How about we sort out the whole head honcho deal later? Right now, we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting the bad guy dig?"
"Without hurting Emma." Prowl suddenly spoke up.
"Copy that." Jazz nodded to him.
Sentinel sighed. "Who cares about the organic that stole the All-Spark fragments — "
"It's about to happen!" Capi suddenly cried softly, mainly to stop Sentinel from signing his own death warrant.
"What is?" Prowl and Jazz said in unison.
They then glanced at Optimus, who was staring at Emma, who had just met his gaze from where Starscream had come to a stop right next to the Magnus Hammer.
She and Optimus nodded to each other, at the same time.
Emma kicked up, breaking free of Starscream's hold and landing right where she wanted to - on the handle of the Magnus Hammer.
The great weapon instantly began to glow, and so did she … and, then she knelt down, and her hand touched the Magnus Hammer, and . . .
She transformed.
In a brief flash of blue light, she was standing there as a Cybertronian. Her hand closed around the handle of the Magnus Hammer and, as she straightened up, she swung the powerful hammer in a crackle of blue electricity.
Starscream knew what was good for him, and automatically jumped back.
The two of them faced each other, as everybody in the vicinity stared on, most of them in complete and utter shock.
The Cybertronian standing there holding the Magnus Hammer was smaller than Starscream - about the same height as Prowl. Her armor was a combination of rose gold, dark pink, and black. Two long straps trailed down from the back of her helmet. On her back was a set of wings.
Her back was to them, and so they couldn't see her face.
Her stance was defensive, though. And, they'd all seen the way that she had swung the Magnus Hammer . . .
A cold wind seemed to blow from nowhere, as she and Starscream stared at each other.
Sentinel turned to Optimus to try and get some sense of what was going on … only to find that Optimus had suddenly disappeared.
Starscream was saying: "Our reunions always seem to begin as such … but, you wouldn't dare take me on … because the fights that our reunions begin with always seem to reduce the surrounding landscape to nothing more than rubble, and you're quite fond of this planet — "
"Yeah, well so am I!" Optimus was suddenly right there and, before Starscream knew what was happening, he was in stasis cuffs and on the ground, unable to move.
Optimus turned, and faced the golden femme.
Only then did she relax her defensive posture, but now she looked worried.
She was worried about what would be said now.
Optimus went over and put a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him, the Magnus Hammer clutched firmly in her hands.
"Optimus?" She whispered.
It was still Emma's voice. And … her optics were the exact same shade as her eyes.
Optimus smiled. "Are you okay, Emma?"
She nodded. "I – yes. Thanks - thanks to you." She then turned slightly, as the other Autobots began to approach them.
Optimus felt her tense, and was suddenly glad that he had a hand on her shoulder. It wouldn't do for her to run away from this situation.
She then glanced at him, and then at Sentinel, who was walking the quickest towards them (with the Decepticon in stasis cuffs, Sentinel was feeling a whole lot braver).
Her face, which was pink but with black-painted lips, suddenly set. She wasn't going to just leave Optimus to deal with this.
"Optimus," Sentinel said once he'd reached them, and they could see that he was seething. "There aren't many things that are, among other things, illegal to keep a secret from the Elite Guard … but even YOU should know that this is definitely one of those things!" He pointed at Emma. "How do we even know that she's an Autobot?!" He then focused his gaze on Emma. "Hand over the Magnus Hammer, right now!" He added.
She seemed to take a half-step back, aware that everybody was watching her, and clutched the Magnus Hammer even tighter against her chest. "T-to you — ?"
"Yes, to me!" Sentinel said impatiently. "Who else are you going to give it to, Optimus?!"
Emma's optics flashed just then, but then she heard a little voice in the back of her mind, telling her to focus and re-centre herself.
Which is just what she did, closing her optics as she re-centred herself in a way that Jazz and Prowl immediately recognised, but they didn't have a chance to comment on it.
Because, Sentinel had just lost his patience, and reached out to take the Magnus Hammer from Emma … whose hand suddenly shot out, despite her closed optics, but she opened them again as she grabbed Sentinel's wrist.
Before the situation could escalate any further, however, a voice said: " — Prime — "
"Yes?" Optimus and Sentinel both said - but, they weren't the only ones who said it, and now they both looked at Ultra Magnus in shock as he came towards them and confirmed which of them he was speaking to.
"Ember Prime."
Emma dropped Sentinel's wrist, at the same time that he drew his arm back like it was on fire - he stepped back, and she turned to face Ultra Magnus.
She walked a few paces, and then stopped when she was standing in front of him, and held out the Magnus Hammer to him.
He took it from her, and said: "Still too heavy?"
"In more ways than one." She nodded, stepping back a bit and finally taking her hands down from her chest plate, to reveal the Elite Guard symbol that was there.
There were a couple of gasps now.
Ultra Magnus was still gazing down at her, and now he said: "It has been … two million stellar cycles … I had thought that … you were offline . . . "
"She was." Came a small voice, and Capi floated up to perch on Emma's right shoulder. "And, she doesn't remember much about her life as Ember." He added, and Ultra Magnus's expression changed to one of shock.
"Doesn't remember?" He repeated.
Emma paused. "N-no, not really." She said quietly. "So far … it's just been a handful of memories … ever since the All-Spark was shattered and I began absorbing the fragments … I didn't know … that it would do that when I did that . . . "
"When you did that?!" Sentinel suddenly spoke up again. He looked at Optimus. "You led us to believe that it was you — "
"It was – " Optimus really had no idea what he was about to say. "I mean - what happened was that — "
"It was both Optimus and myself who played a part in the All-Spark's transformation into fragments." Emma said firmly, standing up a little bit straighter. She glanced at Optimus. "Thank you for not mentioning me before … but, we were both involved in what happened." She turned back to Ultra Magnus. I can somehow talk to Ultra Magnus so easily … of course, because I knew him from before! This is still all so strange! "Optimus and his crew went above and beyond to stop not only Megatron but the two commanders, Lugnut and Blitzwing," she had heard the Blitzwing in her memory mentioning that Lugnut was a commander. "From getting to the All-Spark. Optimus took on Megatron by himself - NO," she added, pointing at Sentinel, who was in the midst of rolling his optics. "But the battle ended up where the All-Spark was, and Optimus was injured. After Megatron placed the All-Spark inside of his own chest, intent on merging it with his own spark, and had Optimus pushed up against the wall … Sari leant me her key — "
"Why does that organic have a key infused with the All-Spark's power and why is it wearing our symbol?!" Sentinel interrupted Emma, and then he gasped and stepped back, as a small flame appeared in the very middle of her palm.
"That organic is a femme and she has a name, and it's Sari." Emma said turning her head to look at Sentinel. "I gave her that pendant — "
"As did I." Prowl suddenly said quietly. "It was from the both of us."
Emma glanced at him and then at Optimus, suddenly realising a kind of dilemma that Optimus must have faced when revealing the truth. "That is to say, Prowl and I gave her that pendant for her birthday … the anniversary of her creation day." She added, for the benefit of the Elite Guard.
"Why should an … I mean, should anybody who's not an Autobot wear our symbol?!" Sentinel wanted to know.
"Because she stood in front of the All-Spark as Megatron walked towards it, knowing full-well that she could get taken offline!" Emma said, through gritted teeth. "She didn't hide behind somebody else or hesitate or anything!"
She didn't say 'like you', and, she didn't have to.
"Ooh, burn!" Bumblebee whispered to Honeybee.
She then turned back to Ultra Magnus and went on with: "I took the key and - as a human - got up to Optimus and Megatron, and together Optimus and I forced the key into Megatron's chest, we ended up just outside of the ship in an explosion that was caused by the overload and the All-Spark shattering, and … that's when I first regained this form . . . " She looked down at herself. "I didn't know what was happening … I was scared … but, then … Optimus wouldn't let go of me, and so we were able to get back onto the ship."
"You'd transformed back by then, though." Sari spoke up thoughtfully, and then she paused when everybody glanced at her. She looked at Emma … and realised that her optics were the same colour as her eyes. Sari then grinned. "Too cool! Your initials as an Autobot are the same as your initials as a human! Ember Prime … that sounds fiery!"
Emma had to smile. That was indeed her name. As she had told Starscream millions of years ago.
"Yeah," Bumblebee said. "Hey, does that mean that we have to call you that from now on?"
"Oh, please don't, Bee!" Emma said quickly, shaking her head. "I'm still me … I just … transform sometimes, too. Plus, I'm taller than you!"
He immediately came up to her, and tried to measure their heights … he also tried to stand up taller, before eventually conceding defeat.
They stepped back, and then they both laughed.
"So," Bulkhead spoke up. "What happens now?"
"Well, I'm certainly staying!" Emma said quickly. "I can safeguard the All-Spark fragments from anybody who might try to misuse them, and gain my memories back at the same time."
"Are … are you sure?" Ultra Magnus suddenly asked her, and she looked back at him.
How … how do I know him? She thought back to the memory that she'd seen, but she couldn't quite place it.
"I made a promise," she explained quietly. "The last conversation that I had with Isaac … I promised that I'd look out for and protect … his greatest treasure . . . " And, she smiled down at Sari. "I've got a responsibility, and a job, and I'm staying here on Earth."
"But," Sari said suddenly. "Need I remind you that … you hate cleaning."
"That's okay." Emma replied.
"And, you only know basic first-aid."
"That's also okay."
"Who's gonna watch me while you're at work?!" Sari exclaimed.
Capi floated down to her. "Just wait." He said quietly.
Emma had turned back to Ultra Magnus. "I once made a promise to somebot that I don't know how turned out … I don't know what happened to Ariel." Was it just her, or, did Ultra Magnus flinch? "However, Isaac and Sari gave me a home when I first came to this world … they became like family. I've gotta look out for my family."
Ultra Magnus nodded. "I understand. What do you need?"
"I need you to rethink taking Optimus Prime and his crew off of this planet." Emma replied firmly. "After all … everything that I just told you about the battle with Megatron … is more or less what Optimus told you. Optimus has got this … weird … thing … like, whenever a crisis comes about he just knows where we all need to be and what needs to be done. I've seen it with my own eyes. One might call it a bit unconventional, but what do you expect in situations like this? I just … hope that you realise that now . . . " She added, trailing off now.
"You … actually listen to his orders?" Ultra Magnus asked her.
"I trust him." She said without hesitation. Then: "What did you mean by that — ?"
"But, sir," Sentinel couldn't seem to hold back any longer. "That doesn't change the fact that he," he indicated towards Optimus. "Disobeyed a direct order!" He actually sounded confused as to how their commander seemed to be willing to overlook that fact.
"That may be, Sentinel Prime," Ultra Magnus nodded. "But, there are times when following your gut is more important than acting by the book. Wouldn't you agree, Optimus Prime?" He added.
Optimus could only nod, and smile slightly. Things had taken such an … unexpected turn.
"Okay," Sari spoke up again, still looking up at Emma. "But, what about first-aid?"
"Hey, Ratchet learned human first-aid in order to take care of me after — " Emma broke off abruptly. That dream … wasn't a dream! She shook her head quickly. "Well, regardless, he can do the whole first-aid thing for the both of us, if need be!"
"Let's … try not to get hurt." Prowl said suddenly, and Emma looked at him quickly.
He's talking to me again! He's actually looking at me! Oh my Primus — !
"So," Starscream suddenly said, and Emma looked over at him. "You tried to take Megatron offline? Em, I have to say, that this makes me lo — " He was suddenly cut off when Jazz and Honeybee swooped on him, and riveted his mouth shut.
"Thank you." Prowl said to either Jazz or Honeybee, before he looked back at Emma, who was still looking at him.
Sari was still talking. "Okay, fine then, but, what about cooking — ?"
"Em works in a restaurant, it'll be fine!" Capi said quickly, and then he suddenly began to glow. "Well, shall we all head back to the Elite Guard flagship? Only, Em's about to transform back but I get the feeling that she'd rather keep her past life a secret from the humans of this city!"
"What am I, chopped liver?!" Fanzone called out.
"Oh, you don't count, you're practically one of us, now!" Capi reassured him, as he Transwarped.
"WHAT?!"
They got back to the Elite Guard flagship and, by that time, Emma had indeed transformed back into a human.
Sentinel looked around, and then looked down, to realise that an unfamiliar human - who wasn't Emma - was standing right in front of him.
"Oh, Em works with her, you remember Miko, don't you, Jazz?" Capi asked casually. Jazz grinned. "Miko was on the Japan Airlines flight from the other day." Capi added, and Sari and those who knew what Capi meant all nodded in understanding.
Miko looked back up at Sentinel, and grinned. "OOGA-BOOGA-BOOGA!" She said.
Sentinel screamed a very manly girlie scream, and ran onto the ship.
He ran past Ultra Magnus, who had his hand held out in front of him.
Emma stood on his palm, looking up at the Autobot supreme commander.
"You knew that it was me." She said softly. He nodded. "How?"
"Those who knew you then," he replied. "Will always be able to tell." She doesn't remember … not entirely … but … I know that she will . . .
Miko was getting acquainted with some of the Autobots in what seemed like her usual and very hyperactive way.
"You look cool!" She told a startled Bulkhead. "Are you a car? I bet you're a truck! A monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?!" She air-punched. "So, come on, tell me - what do you like?!" Without even waiting for an answer, she turned to Sari and said: "Hey, I love that dress, girl!"
"Thanks." Sari said, blinking in surprise. "I have a whole closet full of them." It was true.
"Cool! Oh, yeah, in case I forget, can you give these to Emma for me?" She handed Sari a glasses case.
"Uh, I'll take them, thank you." Prowl quickly took the glasses case.
"Are you her boyfriend?" Miko asked, and then she again didn't wait for an answer (even as Prowl faltered, slightly), as she said: "So, did the head honcho believe that there are 'Cons on this planet?!" She suddenly noticed Starscream. "Ooh, is that one of the 'Cons?! He's not as cool as you guys!" She declared, either not noticing or completely ignoring Starscream's glare. "I mean, the one that nearly shot down the plane I was on is way worse, but with you guys and Capi here, everything's fine!"
"Miko, calm down!" Emma called to her.
"Okay, okay . . . " Miko then glanced over at her, took note of where she was, and then turned to Jazz and said: "So, your head honcho now believes that there's Decepticons here?"
"You know it, sister." He replied, smiling slightly. "Optimus Prime and his crew are staying." He added.
"Good." Said Miko, nodding. "Because, I've known Emma for all of a few days, and, she loves you guys!" She looked around at Ratchet, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Prowl. "Every second sentence is 'Prowl this' or 'Ratchet that', so, you know?" She shrugged. "It's too bad that you guys can't stay." She added, looking over at Jazz.
He smiled. "I think that Cool Cat's gonna be fine — "
"Why do you call her Cool Cat?" Miko asked eagerly, not realising that Prowl especially was suddenly listening in.
But, Jazz just continued to smile, as he said: "Because she's cooler than she gives herself credit for but moves like a cat."
"Yeah, she gets through those dishes like a jungle cat." Miko responded, even though that made literally no sense to anyone but her. Still, she grinned, and said: "I am so glad that I came here!"
"Me too." Honeybee had to smile, although it was a bit sad. Even though we're … shipping out … shortly . . .
The next day, Emma was lying on her bed back at the Autobots' base, thinking about a lot of things.
Namely, who she was, and how she had ended up as a human, and . . .
'Starscream, you're injured . . . '
'It's fine, I'm immortal now!'
'Okay, look, look, look … stop for a nanoclick and just hear me out. Can you … just, like, let the Elite Guard think that they are doing something?'
'What'
'Get captured, and then … I dunno, escape?'
'A Decepticon never gives in!'
'Oh, what, you're saying that you can't escape?'
'Ember . . . '
'Even if you cannot, I'll come up there and get you myself … won't THAT be embarrassing?!'
'What, do you want me to just raise my arms up and surrender?'
'Heh … I was hoping you'd say that … just remember, okay? Because … I do . . . '
"Aurgh!" Emma cried. "I'm an Autobot!"
"I know." Capi said, floating up over the edge of the mezzanine.
"But, you need to come down here quickly, all the same.
"What, so suddenly?" Emma sat up and looked at him.
"This is great news, you won't be upset about it." He reassured her, and so she got up and slid down the slide, before going out into the main room.
"I just received a message from Sentinel." Optimus was saying to the others. "It cut out halfway through, but he said 'good luck' . . . " He shook his head. "Good luck with what?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Sari wondered.
"It's ME!" Declared a voice from the entrance to the base, and they all looked.
A teenage girl stood there. She had light blonde hair with pink tips, and blue eyes. She was wearing a white tube top, a yellow and black hooded jacket, black shorts, black thigh socks, and yellow high tops.
And … there was a silver Autobot pendant around her neck.
Bumblebee's mouth fell open. "H-Honeybee?!"
She laughed, and then transformed back into robot mode. "I'm back! I'm bold! Maybe even beautiful! And . . . " She walked up to Optimus Prime and saluted. "I'm here to keep an optic on my family member and on Ultra Magnus's family member, both at the same time."
Optimus returned the salute, but then he realised something. "Wait … Ultra Magnus's family member?!"
"Yup." Honeybee was still smiling. "That's how you know … that he trusts you a lot, Optimus Prime! He's trusting you guys with HIS greatest treasure!"
"Oh." Optimus said. "You mean Emma."
"Yes." Honeybee chirped.
"I see."
. . .
"WHAT?!" The other Autobots all yelled.