Cross In The Light ✔️

Ch. 15

Drift POV 
Rangeblade is nowhere to be found, which is unusual. Even with Hound and Hot Rod spending time with her, I know she's still very cautious. If she's not with them watching a movie, she'd go back to the barn, but she's not there. I find a note left on Cade's desk, which is unusual; who'd leave a note? I quickly get my answer; this isn't good.   

"She's getting Megatron and the other cons. This note is fake to get us to let our guard firm," Crosshairs argues. Bumblebee, Hound, and Hot Rod argue with him how Rangeblade isn't a con. There's only one way I can get Crosshairs to stop now. Lightning is right here, but it's not keeping Crosshairs from raging. 
"Crosshairs, stop!!" I yell, "what would Jamie think, seeing this?" 

Tessa POV 
You've got to be kidding me. 
"SERIOUSLY DRIFT!? RANGEBLADE IS GONE, CROSSHAIRS IS ARGUING WITH THE OTHERS, AND FOUGHT RANGEBLADE; KNOCKING LIGHTNING OUT IN THE PROCESS-!!" 
"What?" Crosshairs asks, looking at Lightning. 
"I'm fine, Crosshairs, and Tessa Drift is right. I know what he's getting to." 
"NO!! JAMIE ISN'T HERE, RANGEBLADE'S IS GONE!! GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!! I'M GOING TO SHANE'S!!" 
"Tessa, you don't understand..." My dad tries to explain, but I'm not listening. 

Bumblebee insists on taking me to Shane's house. I should have known he'd lecture me. 
"You haven't seen how close Crosshairs is to Jamie," Bee tells me. 
"So we're going to let Rangeblade feel unwelcomed!?" 
"There's no simple way to explain-." 
"BECAUSE IT'S ALL A LIE!!" 
Bee sighs and drops the subject. 
Unbelievable, they're putting a human who isn't even here before their own. 

"What happened?" Shane asks as I slam the door, and Bee drives off. 
"NOTHING!" I yell before going into the house. He doesn't know what's been going on. He'd find out if I go back to my dad on Christmas, but I don't know if I will. 

Cade POV
This can't be good, but Tessa may just need time away from here. We need to find Rangeblade.  
"Is she going to be ok, Cade? Lightning asks. 
"She'll calm down within a few days. We need to find Rangeblade. Who knows if Megatron is around."  

The problem is finding anyone, human or Cybertronian, in the woods. No doubt Rangeblade turned off her commlink. I don't know how far these woods go. 
"These woods go for twenty miles," Vivian informs us, "that is if Rangeblade kept going straight. If she turned to head towards the road, she's likely driven off by now." 

Optimus Prime POV
We must find Rangeblade quickly, but teams are the better option for this, even if it lessens our search area. Another problem we have is the woods are too thick for Drift to spot Rangeblade from the sky. With a map of the area Vivian gives us, I divide the woods into three sections. Bumblebee and Hot Rod search the far left of the woods, Crosshairs and Lightning search the center area, while Drift and Hound search the right. Cade volunteers to search for Rangeblade in the streets. I'm staying behind as backup. 
"Everyone carry Energon with you. At least we don't need to return to recharge for a few days."
"What? You think this will take days to find her?" Cade frets. 
"I hope not, Cade," I reply. 

If Rangeblade is still in the woods, then one team will find her within hours, but it'll be a challenge if she's already driving away from the area. 

Lightning POV
"I told you, letting that con here was a bad idea!" Crosshairs rages. 
Seriously, not even in the woods for five minutes, and he's already starting. 
"You know what?! Go back, I'll find her myself!" I yell in his face before walking away, ignoring his calls for me. I'm so tired of his scrap. I'm tempted to leave the team until Crosshairs' attitude changed, but he'd be furious I left with Rangeblade.  
I sit on the ground by a tree and cry. 
I knew this would be a challenge, but I didn't think it would be this challenging. 

Crosshairs POV
I heard Lightning cry and rushed back to her.  
I apologize as I kneel beside her with a servo on her rotator cup. She doesn't tell me to go away, but she's ignoring me.  
You know I'm terrified I'll truly lose you.  

We can't go back; Prime would be furious we're not looking for that con. I doubt Lightning would come back to the property; she'd insist we have to find Rangeblade.  
"Come on, let's get moving." 
I help her up, and we resume our search.  

Lightning says nothing as we walk through the woods for a good hour before finding Rangeblade. I may not like her, but I think I'd rather she kept walking towards the road than stopping to harm herself. 

Rangeblade sees us and starts running away from us. 
"Rangeblade, come back!" Lightning yells before going after her. I inform the others we found Rangeblade and the direction she's heading before running after Lightning. We're searching the right side of the area and screwed if Rangeblade gets to the road before stopping her. I notice how much Energon Rangeblade is losing shit. 

Rangeblade POV
I didn't think anyone would find me. Crosshairs being one of the bots who found me is the problem. I'm trying to get far from him, but I'm losing Energon running. Stasis lock must be my only option to avoid Crosshairs' shit, but he'd argue with the others I should be left to die.  
I run a mile before my legs give out. 
"Rangeblade!" Lightning panics. 

Lightning POV
She's lost too much Energon and slowly fading into stasis lock. There's nothing I can do but wonder if she would have been better off if we escaped that human's lair, and I told her to leave before Crosshairs and Drift got to me? I wouldn't have been able to tell Drift and Jamie to leave Rangeblade after seeing she was in stasis lock. 

Crosshairs gets to us as Rangeblade goes into stasis lock. Even he's shocked at what just happened. 
:: We need help here now!!:: He comms the others. 

The Energon we are carrying won't help until we stop the Energon from leaking from the wounds Rangeblade gave herself. I'm heartbroken watching this, but also amazed Crosshairs is concerned. 
"She'll be ok," he assures me as he hugs me.