Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cycles ago, when the Great War had ended and Cybertronians had returned to their home, they separated themselves into groups, depending on their subspecies, set of internal rules or beliefs and all of them were given part of the planet to live on. But still, the entire planet remained under the leadership of the High Council whose headquarters were in the capital of all of Cybertron, Iacon and whose duty was to keep the peace between all factions.

Part of the Autobots, the winner of the conflict, broke into smaller faction. They were  called Wreckers, similar but much more radical. Autobots claimed the north and northwestern side of Cybertron, with the Iacon as Autobots’ capital. Wreckers got the northeast side with Nyon as their capital.

Minicons settled on the Hydrax Plateau, surrounded by the Sea of Rust.

Predacons, Insecticons, Dinobots and other beast like sub-species created their own societies in the southwestern part of the planet.

The peaceful part of the Decepticons, or rather those who did not identify as Autobots, called themselves the New Decepticons and took up residence in the southeastern part of Cybertron, with Teletonia as their main city.

Kaon and the surrounding lands were abandoned because none of the factions wanted to build their home on the ruins of the capital of the former dictatorship.

To stop the possible overpopulation of Cybertron, the High Council made a radical decision. It ordered mandatory size reduction, similar to their human friends. Many Cybertronians, especially the beast-like ones, were against it, but eventually complied anyway, leaving only the beast forms and vehicles of their original size.

Not long after Cybertron was rebuilt and the High Council freed from the grip of the Decepticons, a long forgotten Autobot faction had returned home, with the special gifts and a missions given to them by their predecessors.

They called themselves Rescue Bots.

With the support of Optimus Prime, they settled in the southern part of the planet, on the old Decepticon territory, between the lands of the Predacons and the New Decepticons, from the Triax to the Blaster City. Even though their group was small at the begging, their words and believes quickly spread across the Cybertron. A lot of Cybertronians, who had doubt about their belongingness, joined their ranks. And with their faction becoming bigger and bigger every solar cycle, the First Nine members started to be called The Council of Nine.

Blurr, the free spark of the group, always ready to outspeed any obstacle in his or friends path, thanks to the outmatched speed given to him by their predecessors. Often seen as reckless, there was no doubt that he would sacrifice anything to support their cause. His main task was to recruit and communicate with new, young Sparks, who wanted to join them.

Salvage, the soft spark of the group, genius inventor and designer, able to create something new from the thing useless to others. Their predecessors, seeing his open mind, gave him the ability to reshape metal into anything he desired. He used his power to create a powerful tools, which Rescue Bots  could use in their rescue work.

High Tide, the ambitious spark of the group, was given the echolocation ability and powerful super mode by their predecessors. His companion, Servo, noticed by their kind eye, was upgraded to be able to find any member of Rescue Bots, no matter where they were, alive or not. His job was to create and protect the Rescue Bots trade routes on and outside Cybertron.

Quickshadow, the tranquil spark of the group, the covert operations specialist, was given the power to became invisible or reshape into any Cybertronian for a short while. She was charged with collecting information for Rescue Bots from all over Cybertron, in order to better understand wants and needs of other factions and to keep themselves safe.

Boulder, the enthusiastic spark of the group, builder and constructor, entrusted with building and rebuilding cities, structures or objects needed for Rescue Bots’ cause. His artistic nature also made him responsible for keeping the memory of their faction, in the form of art created by him and others and kept in special museums. To facilitate his work, their predecessors gave him the ability to create a magnetic field and quickly analyze space, to properly adjust the form of the structure and the materials from which it should be made.

Chase, the idealistic spark of the group, always following the rules created by him and his companions. In order to uphold the law, he was given the power to completely paralyze anyone it touches or is near, to easily put criminals in the hands of justice. Besides that, his main task was to organize security in the capital of the Rescue Bots, Kaon, which was built on the ruins of the old city capital of the Decepticons.

Heatwave, the persistent spark of the group, perfectly known for his temper but also for his leadership skills. That’s why his main task was organizing bots into smaller groups, guiding their leaders and showing them the way of Rescue Bots. In order to perform his new and old duties as an excellent firefighter, their predecessors gave him the power to absorb fire and transform it into energy or fireproof foam.

And finally Polaris, the Impartial spark of the group, the Minicon supposedly created to guide Rescue Bots into a bright future. With his creation. he was given a Rescue Core, the powerful crystal which was a source of powers of The Council of Nine. The power given to him was not well known, only the fact that he could use the abilities of others, as well as amplify and share them among the individual members of the Council. It was also believed that the Crystal contained the Sparks and memories of the past Rescue Force leaders, with which Polaris could communicate, seeking their advices in the darkest times. Even though the Council of Nine always made decisions by majority vote, it was believed that his vote was absolute, mainly due to the other members' trust in his instincts and leadership abilities. He kept his watchful eye on the duty of others, always ready to support them even in the smallest difficulties. He cared for positive relations in his own ranks, especially in The Council of Nine, resolving any disputes that could divide them. He believed that the slightest conflict among them could have a negative impact on the entire Rescue Bots faction. Not only that, he was mainly responsible for maintaining good relations with other factions living on Cybertron.

Polaris was always accompanied by his faithful beastlike companion, advisor and protector, whose loyalty no one dared question. Although, like Servo, he was not a member of The Council of Nine, his opinion was always heard, mainly because of how much his experience was appreciated. Before Polaris, he served every previous leader of the Rescue Bots, or Rescue Force as they were once known.

Together, the First Nine created a safe environment for Rescue Bot members. Laws and policies were regularly added and changed to fully meet their associate's needs. Despite their tumultuous past with the High Council, they contributed greatly to keeping the peace on Cybertron, acting as negotiators in the conflicts between two factions. Their lands were considered fully neutral, and Helex, the city where the negotiations led mainly by Polaris took place, was colloquially called the City of Peace. Through their hard work, The Council of Nine made the Rescue Bots highly respected by the other factions. This status was maintained for many Cycles and everyone expected it to stay like this forever.

"I think that's enough." A voice echoed through the large room.

A young Cybertronian stopped his sparing with holograms and observed as they disappeared at the command.

Heatcon, that was his name,  was modeled on the Tesla Roadster. He had red lacquer, with gray hands, feet, hips, and face. Above his orange optics was a rounded helmet with two pointed edges at the ends. There were windows on his chest, headlights that leaned further out to the sides, from which an arm protruded. Doors protruded from his back.

“I’m ready dad.” He said with smirk at his face. “This time I will get you, you will see.”

He drew his weapon, the Poleaxe, mostly red with gray blades on either side and a relatively long blade on the tip. At the other end was a detachable spike. Patterns and symbols were engraved on the handle and blades, giving the weapon its uniqueness. It was a gift from his dad for his "earthly" 14th birthday, when he himself was comfortable with a weapon in his hands. He'd trained with it ever since, taking care of it as best he could. One of his dad's friends once mentioned that this weapon was made of Ununtrium, one of the rarest and most durable metals in the universe. From what he heard in the same conversation, he spent 2 years finding the right amount of ore, and forged the weapon himself, along with engraved ornaments. "It was predictable with him. He would never allow himself to give you a weapon that was imperfect in the slightest. That's why he decided that the best idea is to forge it himself, even if he had to work on it for a next hundred Stellar cycles. You know what a perfectionist he is, especially when it comes to himself.” He recalled his dad’s friend words.

The young, blond hair man put delicate smile on his face. “Just remember-“

“Yeah I know, keep posture and guard up.” Heatcon rolled his optics and shifted into an attack stance, planting his feet firmly on the ground with his poleaxe aimed at the man.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “But what I meant to say is, attack like you mean it.” Heatcon gripped his hands tighter around Poleaxe's shaft, waiting impatiently for the final sign. ”Begin.”

Heatcon didn’t need to hear more. Immediately he charged at the man, who had moved out of the way. Then Heatcon tried to reach him with the blade of the axe with quick and precise movements, but the blonde kept gracefully dodging them, moving both of them around the room. After a short time of repeating these movements, Heatcon moved his hands from the middle of the shaft more to its end and attacked with the spike. The startled man springed back, but the spike severed a few strands of his hair, opening himself for an attack.

‘That’s my chance!’ Heatcon thought with tiger-like optics.

He detached the spike from his Poleaxe, revealing a medium length chain hidden inside the shaft. He threw it and managed to tie it around the blonde's right arm.

“Yes!” He proudfully shouted.

The blond didn’t wait long to react. With a brisk movement, he pulled the chain tight and stood on it at the right angle, knocking the weapon out of inattentive Heatcon's hand.

“H- Hey-“ Heatcon had lost his balance due to the loss of his weapon, falling onto his back.

He didn't have time to react and get back up. Almost instantly he felt Poleaxe's blade against his throat, knowing what the slightest movement meant.

Grey eyed man looked at him for a second. He smiled softly,  moved the weapon away from the young Cybertronian and reached out to help him up. Heatcon accepted his hand, visibly ashamed of how he had lost. Again.

“You did well, Heatcon.” Blonde said, giving Heatcon his weapon back. “Very good use of the chain. I was really surprised, not gonna lie.”

“Yeah…” Heatcon said quietly, reducing Poleaxe’s size to that of a keychain. “What a pity that pride blinded me again and I had to ruin everything right away.”

“At least you know what you did wrong, that’s important.” Grey eyed man said, putting his hand on young Cybertronian shoulder. Feeling of his dad’s hand and look in his eyes made Heatcon calm himself a little. "Believe me, fighting yourself, especially your pride and anger, is the hardest fight you can get yourself into. You remind me of your father in that regard…" He stepped aside, uttering the last sentence in a melancholy voice.

“My… father?” Heatcon asked, not really knowing if he should do it or not.

Heatcon maybe wasn’t as smart as his human sister but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that the blond wasn’t his true father. After all, he was Cybertronian and he was human. But then again, any of them were his biological children. His sister, Celine, or Cece for short, also weren’t his. But it doesn’t changed the fact that they all were family. They knew he cared for them both equally, loved them more than anything else in the universe. And he and his sister couldn't imagine their lives without him. Even if all of that was complicated, to say as least.

When Heatcon was younger, he sometimes brought this topic to the table but his dad always changed the subject. And being as hyperactive sparkling as he was, he quickly forgot what question he had even asked. Only when he started getting older, remembering all those past situations, he had understood that this topic was truly painful to the blond. His dad had always been emotionally distant, hiding all his negative emotions from them. He didn't want to make his dad hurt more. So he stopped asking, believing that since his father didn't want him, he didn't need, want to know him either.

The blond sighed heavily, returning his eyes back on Heatcon. “Yeah… I think it’s time, isn’t it?” he crossed his arms. “I will make us some tea and we can-“

“Cody. Heatcon.” The deep voice interrupted their conversation and both man turned their eyes to greet it’s owner.

Quickclaw, another Cybertronian, formed after earthly panther with sheet metal painted mainly in dark brown with additions of its various shades and red lights. He looked at the two with optics the same, red shade as his light.

"I don't want to interrupt this conversion, but I believe one of you is going to be late if he doesn't get off his ass and leave in the next 15 minutes." He said, placing his narrowed optics on Heatcon.

The young Cybertronian looked at the clock. 8:05 AM.

“Shit, we are gonna be late! Again!” Heatcon screamed and immediately ran out of the room. “Cece is going to kill me!” His voice echoed from the hallway. Cody and Quickclaw looked at each other and only laughed lightly in response.

“Heatcon, I truly cannot believe in you sometimes.” Cece said slightly irritated.

She watched him with her blue eyes, sitting and finishing her morning coffee while Heatcon ran into the kitchen with a black-red schoolbag.

Cece was wearing her favoring clothes. Light green turtleneck with dark accessories, with bare shoulders and elbows, and a long pink skirt with gold accessories. Chemical safety goggles hung from the girdle that held the skirts tightly around her hips. Her dad’s. The last memento she had left of her parents.

”Sorry, I was little busy with my morning training.” Heatcon countered irritably, taking a glass bottle of energon from the fridge and drinking it all at once. “It wouldn't hurt you if you take a part on it more frequently you know.” He added, placing the bottle and Cece’s cup in the dishwasher.

“Firstly, I’m not planning to be a warrior, so the basic self-defense is enough. And secondly, I’m capable enough with my bow.” Cece said, pointing at the little keychain. “I can take care of myself.” She said with full confidence. “Besides, do you really want another person to watch how you get your ass kicked by uncle in less than a minute?" She asked mockingly.

“He did not-!” He blushed. “This time it took him around two minutes” He added.

“Then good to know you are getting better.” She smiled, got up from the table and picked up a rose-gold bag from beside it. “Ready?”

“Yeah, almost.” Heatcon responded, activating a gray bracelet with blue accents on his left hand and turning on the holoform.

His peanut-colored complexion complimented by his amber eyes along with brown, almost red, little spiky hair. He wore red leather jacket, with maroon pockets and amber accessories in the form of buttons and ends of long sleeves. Underneath, he wore a short-sleeved T-shirt of the same shade of maroon with amber trimmings on the collar and the hems of the garment. In addition, he was wearing long, dark navy blue pants with 8 pockets, 4 on each side, with amber-colored pocket flaps.

“Ok, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Cece nodded in response, and the two headed toward the basement it’s 1^st floor.

Normally, they would have gone to school with the help of Heatcon's vehicle mode, but due to his lateness, they were forced to use the GroundBridge. The machine itself was hidden behind a mechanical door that could only be opened with a special password known by Cody's closest circle or by a scan of the bracelets they both wore. This wasn't the only function of the bracelets. Thanks to the hologram display, which was projected using a condensed energon crystal, they also allowed for remote control of the GroundBridge. Cece opened the door with her bracelet and placed the teleportation coordinates near their school, where no one could see them.

“Wait, I didn’t finish conversation with dad.” Heatcon said, stopping Cece’s hand from activating the GroudBridge. “Let me find him and-“

“There is no need for that.” Cody entered the room, with Quickclaw by his side. “We will this conversation after you return from school.”

Cece looked between them, not knowing what they were talking about earlier. She had to ask Heatcon about it later. “Are you going to the work today, uncle?”

"Yes. I have to fill out some business documents in my office, but it won't take long." Cody answered. “If you want, I can come and pick you up after class.”

“That sounds go-“ before Heatcon could finish his sentence, Cece's hand covered his mouth, shutting him up.

“Actually uncle,” Cece took her hand and frowned at Heatcon. “we need to stay longer, to finish our project for Chinese class. We will probably be doing it until evening.” Heatcon looked at Cece, little confused. He didn’t know what project she was talking about, but for his own good he decided not to protest. “And don’t worry, we will eat something out.”

Cody stared at them for a moment, then sighed softly. “Very well, I wish you a good day then.” They both nodded and Cece activated the GroundBridge. The entire room got illuminated by the green light.

“Bye dad!” Heatcon shouted, as he ran into the portal. Cece took last glimpse at her uncle. Cody knew exactly what she meant.

“Dpn’t worry. I'll stop at the bakery, I promise.”

“Thanks uncle!” Cece smiled. “Bye!” She shouted, as she disappeared in the portal, which had closed itself after few seconds.

“I hope you know what you are doing.” Quickclaw spoke, breaking the silence.

“Heatcon is mature enough already. I'm sure he is ready to know the truth.“

“You know I’m not talking about him.” Quickclaw responded sharply, straightening up.

Cody stood silently for a moment, crossing his arms stronger than they were before.

"Truth to be told, I don't know what I've been doing for the past 10 years..." Cody answered, moving slowly towards the exit.

The day haven’t even began properly and he already had enough of it. He truly believed what he said was truth.

Heacton.

No.

Heatcon and Cece were ready.

No.

They deserved to know the full truth. No those selective excerpts he'd been presenting them so far. Even if the answers were out of his comfort zone.

He was tired. Tired of living in the lie. Tired of the life that required him to constantly hide the most important pieces of his past life, all the mistakes of his youth from those for whom he would burn this whole musty world to hell without a second thought.

But did he deserved it? Did he deserved the peace it will finally give him, lifting a weight off his chest that he has been carrying for the last 10 years?

No.

He didn’t.

And he never will.

But they deserved the truth.

And that was enough. His thoughts and feelings weren’t important. Theirs were. If finally letting the truth go will make them feel better, make them be better from him, then so be it.

"It's going to be a rough night," Cody said heavily as he closed the basement door.

But now, this wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself. He had work to do, the promise to keep. He needed to clear his mind, concentrate on his plans. He will be worrying about all of this later.

Time to get ready to leave.

Chapter Text

“So, what were you planning to talk about with uncle today? He looked more serious than usual.” Cece had closed the portal as they spoke, while Heatcon was making sure no one was seeing them.

“Eeeee, nothing special really. Just a conversation about my father and all that stuff.” He chuckled awkwardly.

“I thought you don’t care about that.” Cece noted.

“Because I don’t.”

“So why?”

“Dad proposed that himself.” He simply replied.

"Speaking of him. As if you had forgotten-"

"I didn't forget!" He pasued. "I simply forgot that we were supposed to embrace it today."

Cece smirked. "So you for-got!" She said playfully.

"Oh shut up..." He answered listlessly, correcting the schoolbag on his back.

"Okay, okay, don't get so upset." She smiled, slapping him on the back. "You'd better think about what we can buy him."

The two walked through the gate of Lakeside School.

Getting from one part of the house to another was tedious at times.

Their home was divided into 3 segments.

The upper floor had each resident's own rooms plus an additional guest room, each customized to the resident's individual needs, with its own small bathroom.

The ground floor was the heart of the house. The part where the residents spent most of their free time together. It housed the kitchen, a spacious living-dining room, a bathroom and 2 smaller guest rooms.

The basement was divided into 3 levels.

The first level was the most standard, with a separate room for storing temporarily unusable items, food or energon supplies, but also a passageway to the hidden GroundBridge.

The second level was a training segment, access to which was separated by the same lock as the GroundBridge. Not only was there a simulation room and a small training arena, but additional weapons were also stored there.

The last segment was the most secure and isolated part of the house. Mainly because dangerous and unstable inventions were located there, as well as artifacts of Cybertronian origin. It was safest to store them in one place where no one would look for them.

Cody recalled the times when the Heacton and Cece were younger, how many endless questions they threw around regarding every little artifact, weapon or different character from the portraits. And how many evenings he spent telling them some of the stories. Some true, some he tweaked a bit, and in some he hid most of the details. It was better that way for everyone.

What a shame that the age of heroes ended years ago.

Cody decided to take a quick shower after entering the room. However, he had to be careful not to get his hair wet. He didn't have time to dry them for the next 15 minutes. Just tying it up would take him a solid five minutes. And he wasn't wrong much. From the first brush strokes to attaching the chain to the two hoops that held the entire hairstyle and placing purple violet crystal on the left side of his hair, it took 5 minutes 4 seconds. 

He pulled a suit out of the closet, one of 3 identical sets. A blue shirt, white pants and a jacket with 5 long tails with purple accessories and long sleeves with a finger loop. A gold ring with a delicate sapphire, located on the heart finger of his left hand, stood out from all his clothing.

A beautiful souvenir of a failed marriage. Good enough that his ex-husband was nice enough to get out of their lives without too much of a scandal. Although the question was for which of them it would be more of a problem.

Cody left his room and headed toward a side exit that led to garden, and then the garage. Or rather, the garage connected to the mini lab and workshop, where Cece conducted her experiments. Cody had already lost count of how many times he had seen this room go up in flames. Therefore, for safety's sake, this part of the house was properly isolated, and the whole structure was reinforced to withstand explosions, or to prevent any fire from spreading. Not to mention the fire protection systems, which here was twice as strong as in the whole house.

Quickclaw waited just before leaving. "Won't you use GroundBridge?"

Cody shook his head. "I'd rather take a ride." He replied shortly. "Are you coming with me?"

"If I have to sit in the office all day, then thank you. I'd rather take care of the garden."

Oh yes, the garden. He was the apple of Quicklaw's eye. Its well-kept condition Cody owed mainly to him. No one else had the right to interfere with it. Heatcon sometimes joked that it was his sanctuary.

"Not all day." Cody protested, opening the door. "It will take me two hours at most."

Quickclaw rolled his eyes. "You talk as if I don't know you." He slid forward, walking in the opposite direction. "Be back before sunset!"

Cody sighed and entered the garage. The lab section was as chaotic as ever. Shredded notes on the desk, an open droid with schematics right next to it, not to mention the equipment. He'll have to ask Cece to clean up the mess, at least a little.

Looking away, he walked over to his tourer motorcycle. Which he built from scratch, combining the greatness of Cybertronian technology with human attention to beauty and details. Body panels were mainly white, which contrasted with dark violet tank side cover and rims. The Mudguards were a mix of both colors. He unhooked a two-seater sidecar from the motorcycle, with a platter of the same color, and opened the touring trunk. He put his phone and documents inside, then pulled out his helmet. A gift from Heatcon and Cece for his birthday two years ago. A white modular helmet with a dark violet pattern on the top and back and horn wings in the same color. He got on the motorcycle, inserted the key in the ignition and put it in the right position. The keys had a fox-shaped keychain attached to them, worn with age. He put on the helmet, pulled in the kickstand and the clutch lever. The engine started, and with it, the automatic gate from the garage and the exit from the property opened.

He drove off.

Late in evening after an entire day of work, Cody arranged to meet another client at one of Seattle's most popular coffee shops. They were to discuss the details and terms of their future cooperation. Cody worked as a translator, mainly of letters and documents. However, for the right amount of money, he was able to agree to business meetings, even if he despised all this pretentious company. He grabbed every possible assignment, which with his knowledge of seven languages (and he was planning to learn more) would seem like an easy way to live. However, supporting two children, especially those attending a private school, was not so easy. Sure, he could send Cece and Heatcon to public school, but he wanted to give them a better education, let them grow in their talents, especially Cece. He was sure she would grow up to be a genius, seeing how her sister turned out and what her parents were like. He wanted to make sure she would be able to reach her full potential.

Even if he had to sit and work day and night to provide them with a decent life, so be it.

Cody was standing outside the coffee shop, waiting for the client to arrive at the appointment. He didn't know who he was waiting for. In fact, Cody himself didn't know who he was meeting and for what really. The client's voice sounded familiar to him, even if he didn't know where he heard it before. The information client gave him over the phone were incomplete, evasive at times. All he knew was that he would be working as a personal translator for the head of some international corporation. That's all. Details were to be discussed at the meeting. Even if the idea itself didn't seem good to him, it was worth listening to the full offer. Perhaps they could have guaranteed him a more profitable rate.

It didn't hurt to go and listen.

After a while, a black limousine arrived and a woman got out from it. She was definitely taller than him, which wasn't hard at all because Cody wasn't a tall person. Her long black hair was covered under a white beret, the same shade as her coat, under which was an elegant dress that reached her knees. Cody maybe hadn’t seen her in ages but he could recognize that face everywhere. He shook his head and turned to leave, but was stopped by a woman who grabbed his wrist.

“It’s so nice to see you too, Cody.” Woman said with a smile on her face. She watched him closely. “You really had changed, longer hair really suits you. If not those grey eyes I wouldn’t have-“

“What do you want?” Cody asked sharply. After confirming that her voice was indeed the one he had spoken to by the phone, he knew he didn’t want anything to do with it. “If you really thought, Madeline, that I would ever cooperate with you after everything you had done, then you are more foolish than I have ever imagined you to be.” He pulled his wrist out of her hand.

She only looked at him, slightly irritated “I know you don’t like after everything but mistaking me for my mother is a bit of an exaggeration, you know?”

‘My mother?’ Cody repeated her words in his mind. He looked at her once again. She looked a lot younger than he expected her to be. And the eye color wasn’t right. He believed that hers were deep brown in the past but instead an emerald eyes were staring at him now. Wait a minute…

“…Priscilla?” Cody had asked, slightly widening his eyes.

“Oh, so you do recognize me. I fell so honored.” She said sarcastically.

‘Brattish as always.’ Cody took a mental note. “I ask again, what do you want from me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t I told you that already? I’m offering you a job.” She had opened door to the coffee shop and waited for Cody to enter. But he only stood there with his arms crossed. ”C’mon, at least hear me out. I promise you will not regret it.”

Cody let out a deep sight and entered after her. He only hoped that this stupid meeting will not take too much time.

The route from home to Seattle took 30 minutes of leisurely driving. Such were the charms of living in the middle of the woods, but at least they didn't draw attention to themselves. For the rest, living in a big city was a nuisance. It was much easier to relax outside of it.

And the hustle and bustle in the city has become even greater since the Cybertronians revealed their existence to humans. Or basically, a group of bots that sought a quiet life outside of Cyberton, heartily fed up with the constant tensions and growing conflicts. Cody was surprised at how easily people adapted to their presence. He still remembered how long it took the residents of Griffin Rock, who were used to unusual things. But maybe it was a matter of the fact that by High Council regulations, Cybertronians were more adapted to living among humans. They created a special substance that allowed them to digest normal food for fuel, making it perfectly normal to see them in restaurants. Jewelry, especially rings and bracelets, or specially designed clothing, mainly jackets or coats, became very popular among them. They were simply robotic humans, not much bigger than they were. Well, except that they could take the forms of vehicles. Being able to see them in a wide variety of places and jobs: in bars, office buildings, construction sites, schools, clinics and more, collaborating with humans in everyday life made Cody happy.

This is what they always wanted.

He entered the underground garage of the Pynch Company, one of many glass office buildings throughout the city. Fortunately, every employee had a dedicated parking space, so there was no problem with that. Wanting to leave the parking lot, he applied his employee card to the elevator scanner.

"Good morning, Mr. Burns." A familiar voice greeted him.

An aging man, whose age was emphasized by his already gray hair and mustache. One of the parking guards, who had used to work here before Cody. And he himself had been employed here for almost nine years.

"Morning, Mr. Henry. But once again, Cody is fine." He said with soft smile.

No matter how many times Cody asked other employees to address him by name, most of them seemed to ignore it. Older ones had tendencies to do it the most.

“That would be disrespectful.” He replied, the politeness in his voice still not disappearing.

Cody wanted to roll his eyes at this answer. Fortunately for him, the elevator had just arrived. 

He gently inclined his head. "Have a nice day."

"You too, Mr. Burns." The words could be heard before the elevator moved to the top of the building, where the offices of the board directors were located.

At the very center, after exiting the elevator, was a large conference room capable of seating about 50 people. Around it, individual board members, as well as the president herself, resided in smaller rooms. On his way out of the elevator, Cody passed a young, dark-haired woman in navy blue elegant clothes, the director of the technology department, Ida Geis.

"Morning, Mr. Bu-"

"Don't even try it." Cody interrupted.

She only laugh at the response. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Only by name." She bantered. "Anyway, I left the assistants with reports on the new line of smartwatches we discussed two weeks ago. I hope that together we can convince the others. The 'pups' are very much looking forward to it." 'Pups' referred to a recently formed team of four freshmen, one of whom was a Cybertronian.  "Sorry, but I have to go, you know how it is. See you around!" Ida shouted, running toward the elevator.

But something else caught Cody's attention. 'Assistants? Cody moved toward his office.

"How could you forget the access card!" He heard one highly irritated voice say.

"Give me a break, this is our first day. I had the right to forget." Another countered.

Cody decided to come out from around the corner. It's going to be a tough day.

"Be glad he's not here today. Otherwise, he would probably be very happy with such an irresponsible-" He stopped as he heard footsteps from behind.

They both turned toward Cody. "Go- Good morning, Mr. Burns." They said politely.

Cody looked at them. Cybertronian is what he didn't expect here. The first was a sports car, black with orange flames on the body and red optics and lights. He wore three bracelets on his right hand, with small blue crystals in the middle of each of them. The second was a jet, mostly silver with blue accents, optics and lights. Like the first one, he was wearing bracelets but this time on the left hand. But he could seamlessly tell that both were Vehicons. All in all, he shouldn't have been surprised, since most of the Cybertronians milling around on Earth were Vehicons, which modified themselves to stand out among each other.

"Cody is more than enough. I'm pleased to meet you." He greeted them, opening the office door. "Come in and sit down." They both shyly entered, and he followed them soon.

Most of the rooms on this floor were furnished in the same way. A large desk with an armchair, cabinets for storing documents and other items, a small table and two sofas for receiving guests. Of course, each in a different style. The Chief Financial Officer, who is also the oldest among them, preferred traditional decor, so her furnishings consisted mainly of lacquered, wood furniture. Cody preferred a modern style, simple black and white furniture.

When the two Cybertronians sat down on the sofa, Cody pulled a bottle of water, energon and 3 glasses from the cabinet, which he placed on the table.

"What's your name?" asked Cody, sitting down across from them.

"Forgive me Mr. Bur- I mean Mr. Cody. I'm Swift." Said the black one. "And this is my partner, Shift."

"Sorry for our behavior." Shift added, lowering his head.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Just tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Geis asked us to pass on the reports because you weren't supposed to be here today." Shift answered quickly, handing Cody a folder.

Cody opened it and began reading through it. "Y- Yes. We received information that you are off today." Swift confirmed.

"Unfortunately, I had to change my plans slightly." Cody replied, putting the folder back on the table.

"But my point still stands, what are you doing here?"

"Have you not been informed? We have been assigned as your assistants."

Cody blinked a few times. "...Pardon?"

"Due to communication problems between the various departments and management, President decided to assign assistants to every director, whose main task would be to facilitate contact and relieve the burden in certain tasks." Shift explained. "And we were assigned to you."

"I assume the others don't know about this either?"

Swift shook his head. "It was supposed to be a 'surprise,' as she put it. She claimed that if she informed you about it beforehand, you all would consider it as an insult. So you were supposed to find out about us after the fact." Swift answered, with more confidence in his voice than before.

Priscilla had a point. If she had brought the idea to the assembly, most would probably have tried to knock it out of her head. And in fact, Cody would have been forced to do it. What probably wouldn't have worked anyway, having had experience with Priscilla's stubbornness as she persuades herself to do something. He would simply have to accept it, even if he didn't see the need. But still, he grinned delicately. Royce will be so furious when he finds out...

"In that case, we'll have to get some furniture and rearrange this room a bit." Cody announced, breaking the silence between the three.

"It really won't be necessa-" Swift began, but when he saw Cody's gaze, he immediately shut up.

"If we are really going to work together, I will not let you feel uncomfortable here. This is both my office and yours.” Cody paused, seeing them exchanging glances between each other. He just hoped his voice didn’t sound to demanding or harsh. “But you will deal with that later. Before that, do you know exactly what your responsibilities are?"

“Cursory.” Shift admitted. “The President assured that it would be easiest if you took care of it."

'Nothing new...' Cody thought, smiling softly, finally relaxing in their presence. “And one more thing. Courtesies are unnecessary, the name is completely sufficient.”

“Thank you.” Swift said softly, Shift nodded in answer.

Cody began to explain.

“So let me get this straight.” Cody said, taking sip of his cappuccino. “You want me to help you get rid of your mother?”

“In short, exactly.” She answered, taking a piece of a chocolate cake. “So what do you think? Are you going to help with it or-“

“Are you serious?” Cody didn’t knew if he should take this seriously or this was just one big joke. So he will treat it like one. “What do you expect me to do? Should I kill her to satisfy your need of vengeance or-“

“What?! Of course not!” She protested. “I can hate my mother all I want but I wouldn’t want her to die... At least not by your hands.” She added quietly. “ I want you to help me find something to put her in jail.”

“And you seek for my help because…?” Was Cody deliberately getting on her nerves right now? Yes. But he found it definitely worth it.

“Oh for fuck sake, stop playing such an idiot.” She furrowed her eyebrows. "I know that even if you weren't there, it was your plan that ended up putting her in prison. And she knows that as well. Do you know how much time she spent trying to locate you, to pay you back for this? If she ever finds you I promise you than she will make your life worse than hell. And not only yours, but Frankie’s too and those children you are taking care of as well-“

“How do you know?” The question sounded simple, but the coldness in Cody's voice was enough to give her goosebumps.

“Frankie had told me.” Priscilla blushed after mentioning her name. “When we met in the Paris... We bumped into each other… It was an accident, I swear- I mean- I-“ She blushed even deeper. ”What I mean to say is, Frankie was the one to send me here.” She stopped for a second, with confidence returning. At least she tried to look like it did. “Look, I don’t really know what happened to make your disappear for such a long time and turn up like…this. But you trust Frankie right? And she trusted me enough to tell me where and how to find you. Isn’t that enough to at least make you consider my offer? I know my relationship with you and her wasn’t the best as children but now I see why. It’s because of her.” She dug her nails into her palms. “I had never seen how she had affected me, until you and the others send her to the jail. Until I was forced to stay with my father in the England.” She paused, catching her breath. ”In the beginning, I was furious at you for taking her away. But the more time I had spent isolated from my mother, the more I understood what kind of person she truly was...” Cody allowed her to continue her monologue, looking at her with unreadable eyes. ”She isolated me from everyone, making me believe no one was good enough to spend time with me. No one deserved my attention or time, no one besides her. So I had pushed everyone away… Only spending time with my father made me understood that I had no one. No friends, no connections. Anything. Anyone. I was alone…” Her eyes visible became radiating with anger. “She had destroyed my live. And after all of that, she dared to return, taking me away from everything I had created under his care. She didn’t even asked, she didn’t care! She treated me like nothing, more like her possession. Once again locking me in her cage.” She looked directly into Cody’s eyes. “I want my freedom back. And in order to get it, I need her gone from my live. And I know there is no one better to help me than you.”

Cody looked at her in silence. The last thing he expected tonight was to hear the existential crisis of a girl he hadn't seen in seven years. He wondered if she truly hated her mother so much that she was desperate for seeking his help. But if Frankie trusted her…

"Let's say I hypothetically accept your offer and we put her in jail." Cody began, breaking the silence between them. “How can you be sure she won't use her company's connections to get out of it like she did the first time?”

“Because this time, I’m old enough take control over the Pynch Company. And I will. And once I do, I will make sure to cut off all her connections to make her rot there as she deserves.” She looked at her reflection in the bottom of the coffee cup, furrowing her brow. “She will pay for everything she had done…”

While she fought with her hatred, Cody continued observing her quietly, not speaking a word. Helping someone completely blind by the hatred should be the good enough reason to refuse her. Nothing good came from associating with people like this. He knew that. Yet, he felt how much Priscilla had change, and was still willing to change. And the fact that Frankie had trusted her enough to tell her where to find him, probably telling her more about his current situation, perfectly knowing what Priscilla will ask him to do. Did Frankie think it was a good idea? That he should accept Priscilla’s offer and help her? If what Priscilla claimed was true, if Madeline could really threatened the safety of Heatcon and Cece, then he should react before she even had a chance. He had enough problems on his head now, preventing the next from happening would only peace his mind. Besides, Priscilla offer was great money-wise. Even if he wouldn’t like his job as Chief Operating Officer, her personal translator and advisor, he would still gain shares in the company good enough to allow the three of them to live a comfortable life.

And truth to be told, he understood her more than he would like to admit…

"I'll need a security work plan and a map of the entire building..."

Chapter Text

San Clemente Island was the heart of the Cybertronian community. Spark City was the capital, where most of the Cybertronians who settled on Earth lived. Which didn't mean that only mechanical people lived there. Earthlings could also be found here, although most were tourists. This city was bustling with life, regardless of the time of day or night. The center shimmered with blue lights, and on every step there were a variety of stores and establishments. Everything could be found here. From stores created primarily with Cybertronians in mind, to those that mixed art of both species. Parts and accessories stores, paint stores, workshops, all the way to jewelry stores often mixing styles and materials, restaurants serving food for humans and Cybertronians, saunas or entertainment venues.

Deceptus was the most popular bar in the entire city. And the only one Cece and Heatcon had ever been to, since it was owned by a family friend. When their shopping trip in Spark City ended early enough for them to have some free time left, this was usually where Cody brought them to visit his friends he had known for years. And that's why Cece and Heatcon decided to come here. They might be able to help them find a gift.

Normally this hour there were already crowds, and this time was no different. Most of the tables were already occupied, with only unfamiliar faces among them. Except for one who waved them over, inviting them in. He was modeled after a sports car, with a neat red paint job with white stripes on the front and flames on the doors in the same color. A white leather jacket was hanging on the chair he was sitting on.

"Well look who visited us." Cybertronian got up from the table, opening his arms. "My favorite sparklings." He stated, grabbing Heatcon and starting to grid his metallic head with a the knuckle in playful manner.

"Okay Knock Out, that's it. Enough, enough!" Heatcon squealed, laughing the entire time, trying to break free.

The older bot finally let him go. "And where did you lose the keepers, eh?" He asked, placing himself on the chair.

“About that…“ Cece started but was harshly interrupted.

"No, let me think. Surely at this moment he is signing up for a tournament?"

"A tournament?" To say she was confused would be an understatement.

And by looking at Heatcon, she was not the only one.

"The poker tournament that is taking place today, here. He's probably planning to rip me off again, this son of a glitch." Knock Out cursed under his breath.

Oh, so that's what it was all about.

Her uncle never hid the fact that evenings with his Cybetronian friends were often spent playing card and strategy games. Heck, often these gatherings were held in their old apartment or house, especially when she and Heatcon were still children. Even if they mainly started the games when the siblings were long since in bed, they sometimes managed to persuade Cody so they could watch them play. And from what she observed, her uncle rarely lost in this type of games. And she never saw him lose in games based purely on strategy.

"Cody is not with us. We're here alone."

"Really? Maybe you will tell me that he doesn't know you are here?" They both shook their heads. "You're not kidding..." He fell silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Well, then, why don't you two feel like playing a game?"

"Would you please stop demoralizing his kids, Knock Out?" A familiar voice of premises owner asked, in a clearly exasperated tone.

All three turned toward the heavy footsteps, which grew louder by the second. Virtually his entire body was covered with metal of a dark silver color. The exceptions were the dark purple fragments on both of his shoulders, his hip in the middle of his calves. The combination of his height along with the protruding, pointed metal on his helmet, chest plate, and shoulders made him look incredibly intimidating. His penetrating red optics, gazing mutually at the three at the table, didn't help. Most would have been terrified, but Heatcon and Cece knew there was nothing to fear.  After all, they had known him for years.

"The last thing he needs is for them to become addicted to gambling." He said, standing at the table.

"Hi Megatron." Heatcon greeted him, and he only nodded in response.

"What gambling? This was supposed to be a simple friendly game." Megatron turned his gaze to the seated bot. "Besides, how would he supposedly know about it?" He crossed his arms. "After all, the kids won't tell him anything, will they?" They both shook their heads.

"Do whatever you want. Just don't come crying later that you don't have enough money to pay your drink bill. Your creche is not infinite." He finally turned his head around the younger guests. "What are you two doing here, alone?”

"We came to ask for help." Heatcon began. "It's our anniversary in three days, and we have no idea what to get dad."

"Already? Sometimes I forget how fast time passes on this planet. How many years has it been, huh?"

"Nine." She replied shortly.

Exactly nine years since the four of them became a family. Nine and a half since Heatcon came along and nine since they took Cece under their roof. Even though Cody never expected anything from them, they always tried to find some small gift, grateful for all those perverse years.

"Who would have thought..." Megatron mused, crossing his arms.

"Why didn't you say so right away?" Knock Out interjected. "Look around for a new sniper rifle, eh? His gear may be well-maintained, but such old stuff isn't much use anymo- Ouch!"

Megatron shut him down with a firm smack on the back of the head, with a clear look that expressed a clear one sentence. A look that Knock Out remembered vividly from the days when Decepticons still existed. Shut the hell up.

"Don't listen to him and his moronic ideas." He snapped. "I don't know a lot about people's habits, but I know Cody prefers practical things. How about a pen?"

"That's out of the question. He got it for his birthday." Heatcon objected.

"A laptop?"

"Work provides him with one."

"A jacket?"

"Don't even get me started..."

They remained in silence for a moment. "Why don't you go for the lowest line of resistance and look for some jewelry?"

"We thought about it." Cece admited. "But we don't know specifically what. Uncle is not particularly fond of anything-"

"I would start with a ring." Knock Out interjected. "Looking at the fact that he continues to wear that junk from Strikeburner-"

"Knock Out, you're a genius!" She exclaimed, grabbing Heatcon by the wrist and dragging him outside. "We need to get moving before it gets dark." Heatcon nodded, releasing himself from her grasp.

"Thanks for your help! See you soon!" They quickly left the property, leaving the two Cybertronians alone.

Megatron continued to stare at the exit.

"He's got quite a headache with them, huh?"

A gentle smile formed on his face.

Megatron had spent many cycles in self-imposed exile. How many exactly? He didn't know that himself. And he cared little about it. His journey ended some time ago, on one of the moons of the planets in the star system where his end began. Fortunately for him, that moon had enough supply of energon to keep him alive for many hundreds of cycles.

Dark energon. The one he contaminated himself with in his quest for power. And which in the end made him its slave, taking away his free will and forcing him to consume it until the end of his days.

But stupidity is paid for.

Megatron spent his cycles watching the stars. And pondering. About when the idea of destroying the social class system, turned into total war, destroying what they fought for. When the Decepticons lost themselves in all of this. And who was responsible for it. The answer was simple.

It was his fault.

Not Orion Pax, whom he blamed throughout the war. Not the dark energon that corrupted his spark.

It was his fault. His ambition. His selfishness. His jealousy. His hatred.

Accepting this was difficult. But arguing with the truth was pointless.

Like his entire present existence…

Cece did not expect that finding something suitable for her uncle could be so problematic. The sun slowly began to set, and they continued with nothing. They walked through about 12 stores and found nothing interesting. Only two appealed to them. The first was practically the same as the one they had worn so far, only the rim was made of silver, not gold. The second ring, meanwhile, was also silver, with a wavy engraving and a mountain stone. However, they weren't desperate enough to pay three times what it was worth for it.

Even if money is the last thing they had to worry about, spending it so senselessly would be wasting all his years of work so that they could lead such a comfortable life.

Already powerless, the siblings decided to enter the small store they had previously ignored. The inscription 'Gemstone' was carved into the wood hanging on the door, inviting customers inside. The center itself was decorated the old-fashioned way. Completely made of wood than metals like most locations. There was a display of jewelry, mostly gold, in display cases.

"Good evening." A Cybertronian, apparently from an older generation with light, almost white metal, greeted them. " How can I serve you?"

"We're just looking around for now." Cece said, looking at the display of rings.

The Cybertronian watched the two carefully, leaning against a wooden chair behind the counter. "You're not local, are you?" He asked. "You live among humans." He stated.

Heatcon turned toward him. "How do you know?"

"By the device on your hand. To the untrained eye it is a mere decoration, but to us it used to be a symbol of life and death. I still have my old device somewhere..."

"Did you live on Earth before Spark City was built?" Cece joined the conversation, visibly interested.

"Oh, yes indeed. I was here when the first wave of Autobots was sent here, back in the days of the Great War. One of the few who was able to survive and live to see times of peace, hiding on this planet." Heatcon's eyes widened, noticing the worn-out symbol on his right arm.

"Are you an Autobot?" Heatcon asked, alarmed.

"That's in the past, my boy." He replied calmly, pointing to the already virtually invisible insignia. "I settled here thousands of years ago, learning and living among humans, in hiding."

"Do you have anything else in the facilities Cece asked, breaking the awkward silence. "We're looking for a ring. Just a slightly more-" Heatcon decided not to correct her.

"Unique?" The Cybertronian smiled, finishing the sentence. "I understand perfectly. The most visible items are the ones that sell best. Could I ask for a photo of the person in question?"

"What for?" Heatcon asked confused.

"Every piece of jewelry should be a reflection of its wearer. It will be easier for me to match something."

Cece and Heatcon looked at each other. After nodding to her brother, Cece pulled out her phone and showed the salesman one of the older photos, from about two years ago. From their vacation in France. Or rather, the Cody’s business trip  they managed to go together. The Cybertronian looked at it closely. Cece could swear that for a moment his optics sparkled. After a moment, he stood up.

"Wait here please." And he went to the back room, leaving them alone.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Heatcon asked, staring at the door of the backroom.

"Calm down." She said, not taking her eyes off the phone screen. "He is obviously harmless. Truly, you're acting as if this is the first EX you've met."

"Yes, but-" He interrupted his sentence, having heard the sound of an old wooden door opening.

The Bot walked up to the counter, placing a small casket made of dark wood, decorated with a wavy engraving. In place of the lock was a small black button, surrounded by a red border. He opened it by pressing that button and slowly lifting the lid.

Inside was a ring. In its center was a teardrop-shaped black crystal from both sides of which protruded two smaller, round red crystals. By the crystals, on both sides, top and bottom, protruding feathers were carved. Everything was mounted on a sharply contrasting gray-ash ring.

Cece's eyes sparkled. "What is it made of?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him.

The bot smiled, beginning to explain. "As I mentioned earlier, every gem has its own meaning. This one here." He pointed to a teardrop. "This is a black diamond. A rare and very distinctive gem. It gives elegance to anyone who wears it. According to some beliefs, it is a symbol of charisma and mystery, and most importantly, eternity." He pointed to two smaller ones. "These little ones are garnets." He continued. "Perhaps not as valuable as rubies, however, their meaning is much deeper. You see, they represent loyalty, or even devotion. And the design, created in defiance of white gold rather than silver, is meant to contrast with the dark crystals, lending elegance.” He closed the casket. "In other words, its bearer is a self-controlled, elegant person, but surrounded by an aura of eternal mystery. It is ready to sacrifice everything, even its own life and the lives of others, to protect those it cares about."

"And you deduced all this from a single photo?" Heatcon asked, crossing his arms.

The Cybertronian laughed lightly. "With my experience, my boy, it only takes one look to be able to match jewels to a person."

"How much?" Cece interjected.

Before Heatcon could say anything, she gave him a clear look. Cody often laughed that this was one of the many things she had inherited from her older sister.

"Three hundred dollars." He replied. "Do you want an engraving?"

"The jewels alone are worth more than that." Cece noted, not answering his question.

"In the days when I mined them, they were." He stated briefly, without losing his smile. "For me, it's not their market value that matters. What matters to me is that they go to the right people. And the man who took one of mine under his roof is certainly worthy of carrying them."

Cece decided not to argue any further. Even though she was inquisitive by nature, Cody had taught her that sometimes it was better to stop asking questions, for the sake of herself and others. Instead, she poked gently at Heathcon, who seemed to be busy pondering something else. And he definitely had no intention of joining the conversation.

"Shall I engrave something on the ring?" The salesman asked again.

"If it wouldn't be a problem. Four initials. C. Q. H. C."

The Cybertronian nodded, asking no more. He turned his right into a machine that ended in three pincers. He gently opened the caster with his left hand and placed the ring in the pliers, extremely carefully. A very narrow laser began to cut the said letters into the ring. When finished, he put the ring back in place, changing his hand to its original state.

"On the house." He said, moving the casket to the opposite end of the tabletop, toward them.

"Thank you." She paid and took the box, tucking it carefully into her bag. "You owe me another 150 bucks." She laughed, looking at Heatcon.

He rolled his optics and once more, turned his gaze on Cybertronian.

"What's your name?" He asked the salesman.

"Groundcutter."

"Thank you, Groundcutter." They left the store.

He leaned back in his chair again. After a moment, he heard a group of Cybertronians whose voices he didn't recognize.

"May Primus guide you." He said silently.

One cycle, a ship landed on the moon, just short of where Megatron rested. Even though it had a symbol, for him it was unnoticeable.

Two figures emerged from the center. Extremely small, resembling earthlings in size. One moved on two limbs, the other on four. But both seemed to be Cybertronians.

They were approaching slowly. But this gave him a better opportunity to, get a closer look at them. The bipedal's armor was white and gray, with a long tail protruding from the back of his head. His visor was bright blue, and the indentations on his shoulders, tibula and tail shimmered with the same color. In addition, on his chest plate was an oval jewel, attached to his body by four, dark gray triangular attachments. Above it was an insignia. Similar to the Autobots, but at the same time completely different. A slightly altered mechanical head surrounded by two hoops, with an additional protruding shape on four sides. Its companion, similar to Ravage, wore an identical symbol on its left shoulder.

They approached. The difference in their height was great enough to make him look like a giant next to them.

"This is a stupid idea." The four-legged man said quietly.

His companion ignored him.

"Your companion is right." Megatron replied, trying to remain calm, but a growl still came out of his mouth. "Get out of here."

White did not look moved by his aggressive tone. On the contrary. Even if Megatron couldn't see his face through the visor, he could sense the little bot's attentive gaze on him.

"Go away." He repeated. "Before I have to make you do it..."

The four-legged man whined and took one step forward. But he was stopped by his companion. He shook his head, and his darker friend backed away, not taking his eyes off Megatron.

"We want to ask you for help." He finally spoke up, his voice calm and gentle.

"Ask for help? Do you even know who I am!" He snapped.

The white bot moved his tail gently. "Of course. That's why we're here. Megatron. Gladiator of Kaon. Leader of the Decepticons. Lord Megatron." That last title reverberated in his audio receptors. "I know who you are. And still," He knelt down, showing the sincerest expression of respect. "I ask for your help to protect my people."

"Protect your people?" He paused, then laughed maniacally. "Which wire in your processor burned out? To seek help and still from me? What an idiotic idea-"

"How dare you address the Rescue Bot leader in such a tone!" The four-legged man snapped, stepping forward.

He wanted to continue, however, his companion interjected. "That's enough."

"But-"

"We are the ones disturbing his peace." He said, slowly standing up. "He has the right to say what he wants." The four-legged man wanted to argue further, visibly furious at his friend's calm.

"Enough!" Megatron's strong voice interrupted their conversation. "Enough of these games! Who are you, white plate?"

He straightened up. "I am one of the nine leaders of Rescue-"

"Impossible. The Rescue Force no longer exists. They died out with the beginning of the Great War."

"A few survived. And after the war ended, they returned to Cybertron, under a changed name and symbol. We took in all the bots who felt lost and taught them their trade." He continued. "Former Autobots or Decepticons... For us it didn't, and doesn't, matter."

"For what?"

"To help." He answered briefly. "Everyone. That's our role."

Silence fell. The little bot's words were sincere. Megatron did not sense a hint of falsity in his words, and he had enormous experience with liars.

To help . Such an innocent motive. What a pity that it probably wasn't that simple....

"If you're not helping, why the hell do you need a gladiator?"

He fell silent. Once again, the tail made a slight swaying motion. "It won't be long before war breaks out again." He said quietly. Megatron did not respond. "Tensions between factions are getting worse from cycle to cycle. The voice of the underground, which perfectly fuels these conflicts, is coming to the fore. It demands unification, under the rule of one common ruler. They call themselves the Herald of Unicron. And they want to bring their Lord back to life." Megatron froze. The bot continued. "Several rotations ago, they declared war on those who will not join them voluntarily." He continued. "Their radical views have attracted the masses to them, and they are becoming more powerful every day. With the conflicts they have caused between factions..." He paused for a moment. "It's only a matter of time until they achieve their goal, destroying us one by one."

"What about Optimus?" Megatron finally spoke up. "As far as I know, Cybertron was under his protection."

Before he could answer, the animal bot interjected into the conversation again. "He's the reason we got dragged into this mess." He replied, with very audible anger in his voice. "And the naive one," he added. He turned his head toward his companion. "He believes that you are the only one who can help us-"

"Win the war?"

"Not win. Prevent unnecessary casualties." White added. "The very fact that the hitherto neutral Rescue Bots have to go to war is my loss. But if I can find a way to get as few of my people to suffer as possible, I'm willing to sacrifice a lot." His tail moved violently and did not stop moving during his speech. He straightened up even more. "You're right, enough jumping around the topic. So let me get to the point. I came here to ask for your help in leading Rescue Bots during the war. I may have the knowledge, read all the reports of past wars, know every battle strategy, but without proper experience, it is nothing. To guarantee the least amount of casualties, I need a warrior who has eaten his teeth in war. He needs someone to lead me." His speech was passionate, without a word of hesitation, without doubt

Megatron saw in him a young self. Dedicated to what he believed in. Before he lost himself. In his own hatred. In his own ambition.

Before he became weak. And before he betrayed what he fought for.

"And you think your people will just accept me like that? That the mere fact of bringing a former Lord of the Decepticons into their ranks won't cause a scandal? What will Optimus say-"

"Optimus has nothing to say." This was the first time Megatron had heard anything negative in his voice. "The Rescue Bots have not been part of the Autobots for a long time. Together with the Council of Knitting, I have ensured our autonomy. We are completely neutral. Or rather, we were..." He paused. "For the rest, I'm sure he knows that I longed to find you." He took a step to the side. "And as for other Rescue Bots, there is a belief among us that everyone deserves a second chance. That everyone has the right to change. You won't be the first Decepticon among us, and you won't be the last. For the rest, most of them will not question the Council's decision. And even if they do, I'll convince them myself."

Megatron laughed, then stood up. He crouched down just as quickly, stepping down towards the bots. The biped nodded, and his companion ran up to the ship. Megatron took an even closer look at him. The aura of the little bot was appealing. No wonder he was a leader. "You have the talk, he admits. But manners are what you lack. You ask so much of me, and you haven't even given me your designation."

"Forgive me. It's the stress. " He said quietly, audibly embarrassed. "I'm Polaris." He extended his hand to the former Decepticon. "Pleased to meet you properly."

Megatron carefully shook the bot's hand so as not to crush it. "Polaris." He repeated.

After a moment, the four-legged companion returned, carrying a purple insignia in its mouth. The Rescue Bots insignia.

"So Megatron, how about a second chance?" Polaris asked softly.

A gentle smile formed on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he felt that way.

"I can't believe there isn't a single inch of free space in here."

The sun went down some time ago. The two had been hanging around Spark City for a while, looking for a suitably discreet place to open GroundBridge. The city itself had several unilateral ones, which had their other ends tucked away in major cities around the world to facilitate the movement of bots.  To use them, one had to use a special ID. However, Heatcon and Cece had the luxury of having their own. Normally, the use of private GroundBridges in Spark City was forbidden for security reasons, however the one belonging to Cody was one of the exceptions. Therefore, it had to be used in a discreet location.

Their trip in search of a suitable location eventually led them to one of the quieter parts of the city this hour. Quiet, however, often meant trouble.

"You there!" They heard a voice behind them. "Can we talk?"

Heatcon looked at them without turning around. They were both blue, the larger one with orange accessories, the smaller one with white. The larger was a twin-drill tank, the smaller a sports car. Both were heavily armed. Very heavily armed. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the insignia on their chest plate.

The insignia of the Wreckers.

"The presence of Insignia, especially Autobot and Wrecker ones, means trouble. If you meet any, ignore it and walk away." He recalled his dad's warnings.

They tried to do exactly that, Walk away. However, they were not going to allow it.

"Are your audio receptors down? We want to talk." Said a second, exasperated voice, coming closer.

Instinctively, Heatcon turned around and pulled out his Poleaxe in one swift motion. "Leave us." He growled.

"Hey hey, take it easy. Don't get nervous. Put it away, before you hurt someone." He said in a mocking tone, taking a step closer.

Heatcon squeezed his hand tighter and was preparing for a precise strike. However, before he could react properly, a sudden blaster shot knocked him off balance and by the time he looked up, he felt a hard kick to the area where his stomach would have been in the holoform. With a bang, he slammed against the wall and hit the ground, hearing after a moment the muffled calls of Cece, who almost immediately stood in front of him, drawing her plasma bow. Orange picked up the poleaxe, which he released from his hands.

"What the frag are you doing!" Minor exclaimed. "We were not supposed to make a fuss!"

"Calm down Topspin, he'll be fine." Orange didn't lift the optic from the blade. "You can see that the kid is sturdy. And by the blade, that he is, or should be properly trained." He said, finally directing his gaze at them.

The meeting continued, without either party knowing that from above, their actions were being watched very closely by the bird Mini-con.

Cody returned home shortly after sunset. It took him longer to talk to Swift and Shift than he originally expected. Not to mention the line at the bakery. It was a good thing the kids were going home on their own today, at least he didn't have to cancel plans together. Again.

Entering the house, he was drawn to the sound, or rather the lack of it. No banging in the kitchen, no TV on in the living room, no bickering between siblings or Quickclaw's raised voice chastising them for something.

Absolute silence. 

Cody entered the kitchen, setting down his phone, documents and a cake box. It was in the same condition as he had left it in the morning. Quickclaw walked in quietly right behind him, lured by his presence.

"What's so late?" Quickclaw asked, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Don't even mention..."

He picked up Cece's coffee mug and Heatcon's glass bottle and washed them in the sink.

"The kids are back?" He asked, opening the refrigerator to hide the cake.

Quickclaw shook his head. "I haven't seen them since this morning." He answered. "Give them a break, they're teenagers. It's normal for this period."

He sighed, closing the refrigerator door. "That's not the point, Quickclaw. I just-"

The ringing of the phone interrupted his statement. A soft, calming melody.

"Oh, hello Megatron. How are you?" He asked, picking up the phone.

Quickclaw remained silent. Their conversation didn't take long as Cody's delicate smile disappeared and his eyes widened.

"Say what?!"

"You look more considerate, girl. Lower your toy and tell us what we want to know, and we'll all go our separate ways." Topsin, as the other called him, said.

"What-What do you want from us?" She asked, without lowering her bow.

She tried to maintain a calm tone in her voice, however, she knew very well that she would soon break down. Heatcon slowly began to rise. She had to hold herself until he was fully up.

"Where is Lumiose hiding?" His voice became more serious.

"Lumiose?" She repeated. "I don't even know who it-"

"Stop making idiots of us!" Larger shouted, pounding hard on the ground so that it cracked under his pressure. "One piston head with whom we had a very nice conversation a few hours ago stated that he saw you guys talking incredibly friendly with Megatron and Knock Out. And those two aren't particularly known for talking to someone outside their circle in such a way. Which means you two are connected, somehow, or through someone." He extended his blade in their direction. "I ask again, who are you affiliated with? Where is Lumiose?"

In a split second, something leapt high from above onto the larger attacker, practically denting him into the ground. In one swift movement, the figure grabbed the poleaxe precipitated from its mechanical hands and was already about to deliver a blow to the battered opponent on which it continued to stand.

The blow did not come.

The figure was forced to jump away. Topspin tried to grab it with his metal pincers. He was unsuccessful. The flamethrower, hidden between the pincers, burst with full force.

Directly towards them.

But before the tongue of flame could reach them, the figure stood right in front of them, using the poleaxe like a shield against the hot flame. The distinctive, white material blocked Cece's view for a second. But Topsin's attack did not stop there. He tried a leaping attack, but the figure did not let up in surprise. It quickly turned the blade in such a way as to block the pincer. It didn't quite work out for it. Topsin was able to drive the pliers into its right wrist and, with a leap off, tore the entwined material, breaking the gray bracelet and leaving a deep wound.

The brancelet was a holoform projector. Similar to the one Heatcon wore.

The figure, or rather Cody, who was easily recognizable to her, looked at them from the corner of his right eye without breaking his defensive position. The gaze of his gray eyes was focused and sharp, but at the same time extremely gentle. Anger, incredible anger, combined with the deepest care. It was a look reserved for a very narrow circle, at least according to Megatron.

But the holoform was now completely gone and the projection began to slowly fade away. Cody looked away. His right eye turned into a violet optic with a white pupil. In place of the ears were metal, spike-shaped audio receptors that moved gently when listening. Even though the clothes were tailored to cover almost the entire body, some changes were also visible. Mainly the hands, which revealed dark gray metal from pale, soft skin, brightened by a purple glare from the center of the palms and at the bend of the fingers, or rather finger-like claws. While the entire left arm was mechanical, the right was only partially so, and Topsin hit the connection between the mechanism and the body almost perfectly. A mixture of scarlet blood and light purple liquid slowly seeped from the wound. It must have hurt a hell of a lot. Metal was also visible in the small gap between the pants and boots. However, its distribution was reversed. The right leg was mechanical, while the left leg was only up to the knee. The now visible pointed tail ending in a double blade, which was an extension of the cybernetic spinal column, split into two thinner ones, encircling them on both sides and forming a kind of safe zone that no one was allowed to cross.

A fascinating triumph of ancient science according to Knock Out.

A beautiful combination of human flesh and cybertronian technology according to Megatron.

And according to Cody, the cruelest curse sent upon him by the Thirteen themselves.

Topsin optics widened, recognizing him almost immediately. "Well, well, well..."

"Who dared-!" The Wrecker stood up quickly and raised his optics to see his attacker, the wide grin spreading across his face. "Look Topsin, who it brought here. Isn't that the lapdog of Lumiose himself? What? His Majesty let his pet off the leash, or your usefulness had come to an end?"

“It’s a pleasure to see you too, Twin Twist. Good to know you haven’t changed a bit.” Cody snapped back in a calm tone, ripping the remaining material from his left wrist and wrapping it tightly around the wound. "Wreckers have nothing better to do than hook up with children on neutral ground? Need I remind you of the peace treaty-"

"Neutral?" He laughed. "The capital of traitors cannot be called a neutral ground. All of you should be locked up in the deepest depths of Trypticon Prison for treason against Cybertron." He raised his blaster toward Cody. "And you, Megatron and your entire crew, headed by Lumiose, should be killed. Here and now!"

Cece took one step back but her bow remained at the position. Heatcon finally fully recovered and stood beside her, turning his right hand into a blaster. She looked at Cody. He didn’t flinch a bit. He remained gazing at Topsin and Twin Twist, but his intentions couldn't be read by her.

The shorter bot grabbed the blaster of the taller one. "There is no need for further spilling of energon. There has been a minor... misunderstanding. On both sides." He lowered the captured weapon, over the objection of his companion. "The higher-ups just wants to make small talk with him, nothing more. Also, tell him where he's hiding and we'll all go back to our business."

Cody snorted in response. "So your spies are more of a lump than I remembered them to be. Get it into those empty helmets. Lumiose disappeared. No one of us has had contact with him, neither had seen him for almost seven years. Therefore, I suggest you listen to your own advice and get out of here. You have made enough of a mess already."

"Was that a threat?!" Twin Twist snatched the blaster from Topsin's pincers and took one step forward, breaking the surface beneath him again.

Cece and Heatcon took a subtle step forward. Cody looked at them for a moment, and his audio receptors moved slightly. He tore his gaze away again and smirked lightly in response. Topspin immediately understood.

„Frag!” He shouted, once again grabbing the larger bot. “Twin Twist, we gonna go!”

But it was too late. Nine armed bots emerged and surrounded them from all sides. Three modified Vehicons with blasters, three police bots, one with a big hammer and another with an axe and the third with a blaster, Quickclaw who immediately ran towards them, Knock with his saws replacing his hands and Megatron with a blade created from dark energon.

"You son of a glitch!" Twin Twist snarled under his breath.

Megatron looked at the bloody material on Cody's wrist. "You really don't know how to stay out of trouble, do you?"

"Excuse me, I'm just sooo lucky." Cody replied, absolutely unconcerned with his friend's sarcasm.

"This time you've gone too far, Wreckers." The police bot with the axe growled. "Not only did you repeatedly violate the prohibition on bots from Cybertron without special permission, using unauthorized GroundBridge in the middle of Spark City, but you also assaulted unarmed citizens, including a human being."

"Unarmed? They were the ones who attacked first!" Before Heatcon could protest, Quickclaw shot him a glance, to stay silent.

Oh Primus he was pissed off.

"Enough!" He was silenced by a police bot with a hammer, the largest of the three. "You will be arrested and interrogated, and your final fate will be decided by the court. Under our earthly laws, not Cybertron ones. Though frankly, I do not augur a light sentence for you."

"Really?" Topsin asked, crossing his arms. "Good luck with that!" He tossed a gas particle bomb, confusing the sensors of everyone and giving them a chance to escape. "We salute the top from you!" Only the sound of the transformation and the squealing of tires could be heard.

"Don't let them get away!" One of the police called out and he and his companions set off in pursuit.

After the cloud subsided slightly, the Vehicons moved right behind them, leaving the six alone. Cody and Megatron used their guns to chase away the rest of the smoke faster.

"Is everyone okay?" Quickclaw asked, shaking his head.

"Barring a squeak in the audio receptors, that's great." Knock Out commented, switching saws back into his hands.

Cody sighed deeply, lowering poleaxe down. He turned toward Heatcon and Cece, his expression softening almost immediately. "Are you all right? Are you two injured?"

"No Cody." Cece started, her voice shaking a little. "We're fine-"

"What the fuck were you two thinking!" Quicklclaw stormed, instantly silencing any words she wanted to say.

She knew he was furious, but she didn't expect such a strong reaction. Even Cody looked surprised by his aggression.

"Do you realize how irresponsible that was? Why didn't you say anything to us? Do you two even realize what could have happened if Megatron hadn't informed us that you were here without anyone's supervision, with Wreckers, of all Insignia’s, roaming around?"

"In their defense, how were they supposed to know that-"

"Don't interfere, Knock Out!" He snarled back.

"Quickclaw. Enough already-"

Quickclaw looked at Cody. "Are you kidding me right now? Enough!? You have a scar on half your hand and you want to just let it go like that?"

"Don't exaggerate, I've been worse. It's just a scratch, it will be fully healed tomorrow. The most important thing is that nothing happened to them." Cody answered, crossing his arms.

Quickclaw wanted to say something again, but instead he snorted and turned away, cursing under his breath he walked away for a moment. Cody gave Heatcon his weapon back.

"Thanks." Said Heatcon quietly, pocketing it.

Cody nodded. "Let's go home. We will talk about it tomorrow. Calmly." 

"And where are you going? You're crazy if you think you're going anywhere in this condition." He grabbed Cody by the wrist, making the blond hiss in pain. "Maybe your flesh will heal by tomorrow, but you won't make me believe that mechatronics will recover so quickly. Even with your... mutation, it will take a minimum of two days."

"I can take care of myself, you know that well. I'll fix it quickly."

The bot let go of his wrist. "Don't give me that look. Let yourself be helped. We have nothing better to do anyway."

Knock Out nodded. "The tournament is probably over anyway so... I wouldn't mind a quieter place to drink energon wine, in more pleasant company." He whacked Heatcon on the shoulder, who momentarily lost his balance because of this, making Cece laugh slightly.

Cody sighed deeply, looking away. "You're not going to let go, are you?" He knew the answer already. "Fine." From his hand, Cody displayed the control panel for remote control of the GroundBridge and began typing in the appropriate coordinates.

The conversation between Megatron and Cody continued. Quickclaw returned, visibly chilled. He sat down next to the kids, upright.

"Forgive us, Quickclaw." Heatcon said silently.

The animal bot looked at him. "I'm the one who should apologize to you. My behavior was... inappropriate. You could not have foreseen it." He lowered his ears slightly. "I just..." He paused. "Just, next time, warn any of us. Why did you two even come here?"

"You know, anniversary..." Cece said silently, only for the three of them to hear.

Quickclaw smiled softly. "So that's what this whole affair is about, huh?"

Silence fell for a moment. "How did you know we got into trouble, anyway?"

Quickclaw and Knock looked at each other and up. Cece and Heatcon's gaze followed them. They saw a light gray bird Mini-con, which, after circling in the sky for a while, landed on Megatron's shoulder. Cody smiled and said something to it, stroking its head.

"Laserbeak wanted to warm up the engines and accidentally spotted these two, so he decided to follow them. And you can probably guess the rest by now." They both nodded their heads in silent agreement.

"Is everyone ready?" Cody asked.

"Can't you see?"

With a flick of a finger, the GroundBridge opened.

"Move it kids, the cake is waiting."

"Tell me one last thing, Cody..." Bumblebee began, looking at a group of children talking in the large schoolyard, just outside the exit gate. "Was it all worth it?"

Cody didn't look at him for a moment. When Cece and Heatcon stopped their conversation and waved at him with big smiles on their faces, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Absolutely."