[Amanda]
Seconds ticked by, but there still was no reply from Ratchet, meaning something was definitely off. We had to go through that ground bridge, even if it meant we were walking into a trap.
"We can't not go through," Jack said. "Can we?"
I shook my head. "I have an idea. Arcee, burst through first. If the Cons are there, then they'll think you have the key card. They won't expect me or Jack at all. We'll follow after thirty seconds; think that'll give you enough time to clear us?"
"Sounds like a plan." She said before transforming and speeding through the space bridge. Once she disappeared, I started counting down in my head.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven," Jack muttered under his breath. "Six, five, four, three, two, one-"
"Go!" I exclaimed and we both dashed through. I kept my grip tight on the key card holding all the wisdom of the Primes as I tried to keep my balance.
I hate space bridging, I hate space bridging, I hate-
We finally emerged at the other side to see Optimus right in front of the space bridge, trying to get to his feet, while Arcee battled Megatron behind him. I ran up to Optimus, stopping only when I was just in front of him and held up the key card. He was still on his knees, the uncertainty on his face as clear as I'd ever seen it.
"Are... you certain I'm worthy?" He asked, his unsure tone almost breaking me.
"I've never been more sure of anything." I said and I saw a silver spark around the key card before a blast of blue light emitted from it, hitting Optimus' chest, which slide open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Megatron slam Arcee into a wall before bounding towards us. Ratchet tried to stop the Decepticon Leader, but got a fist to the face in return, Megatron not slowing down once.
Come on, come on!
Finally, the stream of light stopped, the key card lifting out of my hand and growing to fit in the one of a Cybertronian. With Megatron just paces away, I looked up at Optimus in desperation to find a grim look on the Prime's face.
"No!" Megatron leaped up, sword raised to kill and Jack yanked me back. For a second I feared that the sword would slice right into Optimus, but instead I saw the Prime had caught the blade between his hands.
"Megatron," Optimus said, the uncertainty that was just in his tone long forgotten as his mask slide over his mouth. "Be gone."
Hit after hit struck the Decepticon Leader, who couldn't regain his balance to strike back. Optimus never gave him the chance, sending punch after punch to his enemy, not letting up once.
Yes!
Optimus sent Megatron one last hit that sent him slamming into the stone wall. The other Autobots took the opportunity to get to their feet and join their leader in the stand against the Decepticon, taking up defensive positions, though they looked injured.
"Ratchet, how did we arrive here?" Optimus asked while Megatron was on his knees. "What are the children doing here as well?"
"Long story, old friend." Ratchet replied, not even trying to keep the relief out of his tone.
"Base to ground team!" Agent Fowler's voice came over the comms. "We're reading five Autobot life signals down there. Is Prime with you?"
"And the kids." Arcee replied. I couldn't help but allow a smile.
"Base, we're going to need a ground bridge." I said and in reply, one opened beside us. "It's ours!"
Megatron started to get to his feet, the Autobots firing their guns in return.
"Autobots, fall back!" Optimus ordered. Arcee scooped up Jack and Bumblebee grabbed me, pulling us both into the ground bridge much quicker than we could have alone. Bulkhead and Ratchet followed soon after, Optimus coming through last. While in the ground bridge, Bumblebee set me down and Arcee did the same to Jack, allowing us to walk in front. We emerged in the base, Raf, Miko, Finn, Agent Fowler, and Ms. Darby waiting in front of the bridge.
"Jack!" Ms. Darby ran forward to hug her son and a sad smiled played on my face, which I hid while taking my helmet off. Miko ran forward to tackle me, Raf and Finn not far behind. Then the Autobots walked through, causing Miko to hurry over to Bulkhead and Raf to race to Bumblebee. Even Ratchet had a smile on his face when he walked through the bridge into base. I turned, knowing who would walk through next.
Optimus stood at the entrance of the ground bridge as it closed behind him. I looked up at him, seeing that his gaze was already on me, and I smiled, allowing all the anger and tension from the past couple of days to leave my body. Optimus knelt down, outstretching his hand in front of me and I climbed on, allowing him to lift me up to his shoulder, which I sat on. The gesture made me release a shaky breath and I leaned my head against him, the relief I felt beyond anything I'd ever experienced before. Raf walked up to the Prime, looking unsure.
"Optimus?" The younger boy asked.
"Hello, Rafael." The Prime said, causing a smile to break on Raf's face.
"Yes!" Miko exclaimed. "The big guy remembers us!"
"Although it seems there is much I do not remember." Optimus said, his arm turning to reveal the Decepticon emblem that was etched on it. That sparked anger in me.
How dare Megatron take advantage of Optimus and claim him like that?
Worry about that some other time, preferably when you're able to snuff that Con's spark.
"Optimus, it has truly been our darkest hour," Ratchet said. "But know this; From every indication, your spark never ceased being that of an Autobot."
~~
Two hours later, everyone was still buzzing around Optimus. While Jack and I had gone to separate rooms to change out of our space suits, the others had told Optimus about what happened after he was taken by the Decepticons as they got medical check ups from Ratchet. By the time I had returned, Miko was at the part where Jack and I left to go to Cybertron to find Vector Sigma and finished the story from our end. Since most of the others were focused on Miko, I quietly slipped to couch, taking a much needed rest. While Optimus was listening intently to Miko and getting a check up from Ratchet, plus getting his emblem changed back to the Autobot one, I could see he was waiting intently for the two to finish up.
Also, it was getting late. Raf had already gone home with Bumblebee, and Jack and Arcee were heading out as well. Ms. Darby had already left, she had an emergency at work, and Agent Fowler and Finn had military reports to write up, so they made their exit an hour ago.
"Miko, time to go." Bulkhead called once the girl had finished her story. "We don't want your host parents to get mad because you missed curfew again."
Miko made a face. "Aw, Bulk! I'm still telling the story!"
"Come on, Miko."
"I'll be here tomorrow to listen to the rest of your story, Miko." Optimus assured her. "But Bulkhead is right. We don't want to cause a rift between you and your host parents."
She sighed dramatically. "Fiiine." Bulkhead transformed and before Miko got inside, she whirled around, looking at me. "See ya tomorrow, A! I expect to hear every little detail about what Cybertron looks like!"
"Sure thing, M." I shot her a tired smile. She got in and Bulkhead drove out, the noise of his engine covering up my yawn. Optimus' gaze went to me when the base quieted down again.
"We should go as well, Amanda." He said.
I shot Ratchet a glance. "Are you okay to drive me home? I can call a car here and-"
"Actually, I think a drive would do you well, Optimus." The medic said, shocking me, and he gave me a pointed look. "Amanda has a lot to tell you."
Gee thanks, Doc. Nice of you to put the spotlight on me like that.
Optimus shot me a slight questioning look, which I pretended not to see and headed down the stairs instead.
"Let's head out, then." I said and the Prime paused before transforming into his vehicle mode. I got into the passenger seat, but not before shooting Ratchet a glare. The medic gave me a knowing look and then turned back to his computer. Optimus started to drive out and we drove mostly in silence. He drove past my house, heading to the area we went to most of the time when we wanted to talk. Once he stopped, I got out and walked a few paces as he transformed back to his Autobot mode behind me. My gaze was glued on the sunset in front of me, feeling the familiar emotional stops I built up slide into place. Now that everyone was safe and the danger was behind us, I subconsciously fought back the emotions that I let leak through, even though it wasn't what I wanted right now.
Dammit, why does this still happen? I thought I was past this...
Stop.
I turned to face Optimus, who was watching me intently. "You know you scared me, right? When the others came through and you weren't with them... I got scared and felt helpless. I hate feeling helpless. But then I realized you gave me the key card and learned what it did, so you didn't leave me helpless."
He nodded, listening patiently.
"I- you know all of this is new to me. This whole team thing, it still feels a bit foreign, but it's better now. I saw the way the team sort of fell apart without you and that- I don't know, I guess it made me feel like I had to find a way to bring them back together because that's what you would have done. I don't know how you do it, Optimus, but somehow you bring together everyone despite their past and join them together to fight for the greater good. You did that for everyone on the team and, when you were gone, I realized you did that to me too."
You're rambling.
Shut up, I'm trying.
"What I'm trying to say is..." I tried to find the right words. "You've sort of become the father I never had."
"Father?" The Prime looked slightly confused, reminding me that they used different words on Cybertron.
"You know... A father is like the protector of the family. A child's first hero." I tried to explain. "I never met my biological father; he left my mother two months before I was born. I grew up hearing all these stories about the things the other kids would do with their dads and never knew what it was like to have one. But then we met and... I- you-"
Optimus knelt in front of me. "On Cybertron, we call a 'father' a sire. Sires are the protectors of the family as well, and guides the young. Being a sire to another is a title that not many are fortunate to be given. It would be my honor to be your father, Amanda. An even greater honor to call you my daughter."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and smiled. He gave me one in return before sitting and inclining me towards him. I sat next to him and leaned against him, happiness filling me as we watched the sun go down.
You're forgetting about something!
Sighing, I looked up. "Optimus, there is something else."
"Yes?"
"What would you say if I said I'm the Champion of Cleona?"