space girl | bumblebee

xliv.

Not only had the group not been to Texas, but they also had no idea where they were supposed to go to find the potential Autobots. While they had a lead, Texas was a big place and they didn't have the time to search the entire state. So, despite their initial excitement at the idea of seeing the Autobots again, the excitement was quick to dissipate at the realisation that they needed a proper lead with an actual proper location.

Now that was going to be hard to find.

"Hold still, okay?" Onyxia requested Abigail, who nodded and screwed her eyes shut as her sister prepped a vial of Ironhide's energon. "It may hurt. I don't know how your blood will react to Hide's energon. You sure you want to go through with this?"

Abigail nodded quickly, "Yes! Just do it!"

Onyxia clicked her tongue and carefully injected the needle, slowly emptying its contents into Abigail's bloodstream. The girl let out a wince as she felt the needle pierce her skin and the liquid enter her bloodstream, but that was the extent of it.

When the needle was emptied, it was pulled out and Onyxia pressed a cotton ball to the wound. "Hold it there," she instructed Abigail, and the girl obeyed.

"Thank you," Abigail said sincerely, opening her eyes. "I don't feel bad at all."

"Thank you," Ironhide, in his holoform, thanked Onyxia, who smiled softly.

"No problem guys. Although, unless Ratchet is alive, we'll be unable to see if it's actually worked until the last year of your life," she explained, her mood turning serious. "Now...about finding the Autobots."

Ironhide frowned, "I've got no signals, Onyx. Gone under the radar to everyone. We don't even know if they're located here either."

"Wild goose chase," Abigail said with a deep sigh. "I don't have any ideas."

"Neither do I," Onyxia sighed, shaking her head. "We may never find them at this rate."

The trio's gazes snapped to Ironhide's altmode as his radio began to crackle before meeting each other's gaze once more. 

"Has it done that before?" Onyxia asked the couple, who both shook their heads.

"That's...someone's trying to contact me," Ironhide explained with furrowed eyebrows, his radio volume turning up.

"Calling all...Calling all...Calling all Autobots," the voice of Optimus spoke through the radio before he went silent. Onyxia shot up from her seat and stared at Ironhide's altmode with wide, teary eyes.

It had been too long since she heard his voice.

"Was that now?" she demanded.

"Y-Yeah," Ironhide confirmed. "Optimus' signal was online for me for just a moment while he sent out that message. It's off now."

"Did you get his location?" Abigail asked excitedly.

"I only got a potential radius, but it definitely levels the playing field. Austin, Texas," he answered. Onyxia grinned widely at that.

"Let's go find our leader."

***

The next morning the trio woke up, ready to explore Austin, Texas. They had driven more than nine hours, reaching Austin at night, so they slept before thinking about doing anything else.

"I imagine he's somewhere on the outskirts," Onyxia pointed out as she inside Ironhide with Abigail. The mech was driving around Austin, being careful not to get too close to the town.

"Maybe Round Rock? It's the closest outskirt-ish area," Abigail suggested, to which everyone agreed.

"How are we going to know we've found him?" Onyxia asked them slowly.