H O P E | o.p

t w o

"If you mean a good to punch in the throat?"

"On terms of being physically violent, yes." Optimus gave a deep chuckle. "We really must work on how you handle certain situations."

I huffed playfully. "What's wrong with the way I handle my situations?"

"It's very minor, Athena, I promise. Just... making physical threats isn't a very queenly trait."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh whatever." I folded some of my blankets. "So, when are you coming back to visit?"

"Athena... we've talked about this."

"What's the point of being my guardian if you're never here?" I grumbled, stuffing my blankets, roughly, into my box. "I've been with you all summer and all I've done is bother Lennox and Epps, get my ass kicked by Ironhide,"

"Language."

I rolled my eyes. "Swallowed some new human-cybertronian medicine from Ratchet, and get death glared by Elita. Not to mention that accident." I could tell bringing up my accident on the highway was a low blow. I could practically see hi whole body stiffen in anxiety.

Optimus took a second before responding. "Is there something wrong with Bumblebee?"

"Don't do that." I huffed. "Bumblebee was meant to just protect Sam, that was the role you gave him. Not twins, he can barely keep up with Sam and Mikaela enough as it is." I ran a hand over my hair. "I'm sorry... it's just exhausting not knowing anything of what I'm supposed to become when you're never here to help me figure it out."

Optimus gave a soft exhale. "I apologize, Athena. I've given you my word to help you and I haven't done that."

"No, no, stop." I waved him off. "It's fine, don't apologize. I shouldn't have gotten upset."

"But..."

"How are you and Elita?" I asked quickly, cutting him off before he could say anything else. I hated asking this question, but to make it seem like I don't have a thing for this damn robot. I needed to act like I was interested in his crazy psycho girlfriend.

Optimus blinked over the phone. "Elita is..." He scratched at the side of his cheek. "We are, how you humans say, no longer a thing."

"Say what now?"

"After your accident, I made a decision to no longer romantically associate myself with her. My responsibility to keep you safe was being undermined by Elita and I's problems." Optimus explained, a hint of anger detected between the lines. "Your safety is one of things I care about most in the world, I was angry with myself that day to see you in the state that you were."

Oh god, where do I start with that?

Not to necessarily say it was an accident, it was more of a planned attack that was played off like an accident.

________________

To explain the story, Optimus and Elita seemed to have gotten into an argument hours after the obnoxiously hot pink motorcycle overheard me and another soldier around my age hearing my compliments on how hot Optimus's holoform was. It was during lunchtime, and everyone was congregating in the main part of base for some unknown reason. I don't know, no one let me know about anything actually important unless Lennox and Epps burst into the USO on the far end of the barracks to spill details like teenage girls.

Anyway, me and the only other female who seemed to enjoy my company was another female named Emily Raynor. She was from London, in the British version of the Marines, and is the reason why I'm considering joining the military in the first place. We both were outside; she was cleaning guns and was in the process of teaching me how to do the same. "What should I do?" I asked, handing Emily a spring.