- Action expresses priorities. -

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[S.1 Ep. 22, now is where our real story begins. ]

(Jack)

The teenager found it hard to concentrate for his studying.

Once inbetween five minutes his head would glance towards his friend's desk, empty one. Chloe had gone missing. A worry creeped deep down him since he knew Chloe's Uncle had given him a call and asked did he have any idea of her where abouts... but for the truth he had none. And if Joe had no idea where she was, no one did.

Jack sighed deeply while concentrated to look back forward towards the white board where their maths' teacher was explaining something about equations again, simply drawing as if making it easier to understand. His eye caught Tara looking to him, her brows ridged.

"What is it?" Tara hissed quietly, Jack glared hintly since she could not understand. Still the boy agreed to answer her by pointing Chloe's empty seat, his friend rolling her eyes. "It's not first time, hot-shot."

"Nobody knows where she is." Jack hissed back, these two looking to the man teacher who glanced over his shoulder to see who were speaking, but since couldn't recognize the voices and direction he turned slowly to continue. "... Not even her Uncle."

"Oh, she'll be back." Tara proudly said. Jack rose a brow to her, earning a hint of wink from her. That girl was always so cheerful and full of life, having no doubts of this case either. "You'll see. You owe me a proper lunch if she shows up tomorrow."

Jack lent his chin to his open palm, wondering quietly. Again his head turned to look towards Chloe's empty seat, disappointed that she weren't sitting there staring out of the window deep in thought again. Rafael was at base for some odd reason and had sent them a message of small problem there- something of Rathet?

Either the case the Autobots and the world was least of his worries... Chloe was a person you needed to treat properly. She could shatter at any point even if acting tough.

But he had to admit maybe a little bit,

Maybe Tara was right?

She always comes around.

She has done so for few years now... this won't be any difference.

Take your time.

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[Chloe's Third P.O.V]

This has got to be it.

Standing tall, Chloe faced before her now a humongous caving's entrance. She reached to her pocket and took out her phone where showed a map and an image of a similar caving; everything to it same except the small rock on the left side? Sudden message popped up showing it was her Uncle's twenth note, his calls like thousand already.

Chloe sighed deeply and ignored his notifications, putting her phone's light on as she proceeded forward, knowing how long way she had came not to turn back now. She had gone to a bus, then lifted for a ride like three times and now was outside her town maybe, but in next one. So quite close. No sweat! What could possibly happen except the cave had been marked unstable but held within the only resource she needed.

Energon.

She admitted, this cave was creeping the hell out of her. Maybe with the Decepticon Leader it might've been way nicer experience but guess what- he had disappeared like into thin air! Despite the messages Chloe had sent to Megatron he hadn't even seen them, informing that way that he must be busy. Yeah she gets it that she wasn't the priority here, but at least should put some thought to this or just send Soundwave with her?

"You got this..." Chloe internally slapped herself for being such a whimp. This was nothing really, all she was there was to collect the crystal she needed, correctly large amount of it but still this cave was empty and quiet. Or should be abandoned? "It's just small cave... what could possibly happen?"

Worse than Megatron finding out about this?

Chloe made it to an open space which intersected to two directions, small hint of growl left her. She tapped her foot to the ground while tried to choose the other, until been interrupted by steps.

Non-light ones.

"What would you call our ex- Commander Starscream?"

Startled to death Chloe searched for a hiding place, only getting the brightest idea to run on left and lean against the wall tight as possible. She prevented from breathing much while widening her eyes of the sight of two Vehicons passing her, blasters up and ready for action. Guards? They seemed to chit-chat!

The human felt her breathe gone as they stopped few feet away from her, the other turned to stare at his comrade.

"... Coward?" He questioned almost to himself, these two laughing to it. It was far beyond her mind to know how they speaked of their own crew. Who was the person they even talked of- well, again another question to make for the Warlord.

"I definitely won't want him back to lead again," These two slowly begun to move again forward, continuing their way. "He takes all the glory."

Chloe made sure no steps nor voices were heard until she glanced to see only shadows disappear to end of the tunnel, until like a ninja she made her way on right where these two had came from. Only one thought rang in her mind.

Is he here?

Soon she came end of the tunnel but had to dive to hide behind a large brock of rock once one Vehicon passed her pushing this cargo full of energon, heading somewhere. Her green eyes watched the drone leave and left her unnoticed until her eyes traveled to look forward; at the most beautiful working operation. There were large amount of energon bricks pretty much everywhere, on each worked at least three Vehicons 'cutting' them with lasers to be loaded up to the cargos. The other Vehicons either guarded or pushed them to the headed direction, Chloe was left in awe to watch what an operation was going on.

If she could've only whistled...

"Not there!" A loud clang rang throughout the humongous space of room which earned Chloe's attention, she flinched of the sight. "You must take it to the bridge, our Lord wants us to be ready until his arrival." Knockout growled to one Vehicon who nodded humbly as begun to lead the now-full cargo of energon towards Chloe again.

The girl bend more when at least four Vehicons passed her, she the one changing her tactic and begun to crawl to other direction. Away of the most dangerous place.

So, Megatron's coming in the end.

Can't let him see me.

Chloe ran quickly against a wall and stayed still until been convinced that she weren't seen, her eyes almost possessed by the energon rock not far. Luckily she had her backpack; all she needed was to reach that without been sighted. But she hid again when Vehicon guards passed her, knowing there was a lot at stake if she gets caught and Megatron was not around.

How did she end up having such bad luck of this cave....?

She brushed the thought away while selected her course of direction, making sure her path was clear. Just when she put most of her weight forward she had to quickly return back when Knockout walked past her, heading to one direction. When Chloe tried to back down her other boot hit a small rock which made an awful sound, immediately making her froze. Knockout stopped. Head over heels. Chloe's eyes widened as her breath was taken away while she backed up to a tiny ball into a small gap, slamming her hand over her mouth to prevent anymore voices.

This was one Cybertronian she didn't want to deal today.

There was still moment of silence which felt almost internal, but then small shrug was present as Chloe heard his steps walk away. She waited, glancing invicibly to see him wonder to lecture a pair of other Vehicons.

Thank God.

Taking in a small breath Chloe crawled out, now her veins full of adrenaline. Without even trying to make sure was her path clear she made run for it to the pile of smaller energon, ducking down in the action taking her backpack down as well opening it up. The girl did see was anyone coming and saw few Vehicons again rounding the space and approaching her, of her small size perhaps not immediately seeing her. But she did stuff the energon in like her life depended of it. One brock at a time.

A worry spread through her body when one of the biggest was 'glued' to the ground and the guards approached, her both hands gripped it tight and tried to pull it off. A groan of disapproval left her while she glanced to see them make a turn as she was able to be sighted already.

"Come on." Chloe growled, and then it flew out of place. Quickly she stuffed rest of the stuff in until ran quickly under one cargo which was close to her, ducking below. With quick look she saw the Vehicons pass her and the cargo without any problem at all... they had not seen her. Had she really made it?

Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!

She sighed way too many times on that day, closing her backpack's zipper while put it on. Dammit it was heavy for her! But without further complaining Chloe slowly got out when the cargo moved as she ran across the corner, almost fistpumping the air of seeing no one after her. She turned already to head off; desiding to change her course when Knockout as well Megatron invaded her sceen. They were having a deep conversation the Leader looking not-so happy about something, as usual.

Where did he-!?

Chloe tiptoed to take the other direction.

Until there was a Cybertronian helm throwed infront of her. A flinch of fear went through her to see how the Vehicon's line of light offlined, as it formed a pond of energon below it. This was dead. He was dead!

Chloe then rose her gaze to watch completely unfamiliar Cybertronian clean his blade a bit, just as another Vehicon fell lifeless to the ground behind him. Now she was seriosly in lack of words; who was this? The Cybertronian resembled for unknown reason more of a medic than Knockout did- the heart beat, his equipment etc, but on second thought... he did have blue optics. Kind of. Well, hint of green, but part of the other side totally.

He is- an Autobot!?

There was also a blue mech he held until desided to let go of him, the one said almost crushing Chloe underneath. The blue mech laying now unconscious did have only one optic and was way different of the other Vehicons- one of Megatron's generals again.

Wait.

"Really? And what 'new Autobot' that would be?"

But if that was one of his Generals, the one now defeated face against the ground--!

Chloe felt no air going in her lungs when Megatron and Knockout was now staring at the Bot, who gave whoo-ah! for the job he had done. There was no way Chloe would move an inch of her spot even if none of them had still spotted her. Not if she sticked close to the unconscious Cybertronian. Her body had paralized, her eyes calculating every bit of this.

"Well, uh..." Knockout stuttered taking few steps back. But the look Megatron gave told that he wasn't very impressed.

"That is your fearsome new adversary?" But the Decepticon Leader almost spat out loud, chuckling low when looking down at the Bot facing him. Chloe could do nothing else but swear dear God knows what in her mind to be involved with all this! "He's Optimus Prime's medic."

Well, guess who hit the nail!

-- Wait I shouldn't be celebrating in any freaking way!

Stupid, stupid, stupid-!

"Oh no, Megatron." But the medic of other side had opinion of his own too. "I'm your doctor of doom." Out of nowhere, literally no one expecting this to happen the Autobot ran forward with speed as well slammed his tight curled fist against Megatron's faceplate, sending him back quite a bit until he hit a wall. Even if such a step-back that Titan looked like it felt almost nothing! Chloe felt like passing out of this.

Oh no...

Megatron's denta bled now slightly as his sharp digits wiped it off slightly, his red optics shifting to the Autobot. With death glimming in them.

"All right, then." Megatron said as a challenge. For the truth it might've given the chill which Chloe had waited for all this time.

And the Autobot seemed only to be encouraged by this.

"For Cybertro--" Megatron's palm easily catched his incoming fist this time, can't be fooled twice she guessed. "Aaaahhh!" But he did twitch it quite a bit, making the Autobots' medic growl out of pain and been forced down on his knee. "Aaaaah!" And the yells was the most horrible thing Chloe had ever heard.

I need to get out.

"Ratchet is more spirited than I recollect." Megatron said with deep tone, Knockout getting closer when felt secured enough. But then those crimson red optics were shifted on another person in small distance; Chloe. The way his look told, that things were gonna get ugly. And it was almost too terrorizing how deadly his look could get as he had now spotted her presence. Was that sentence also ment for her? Was it somekind of command which could be felt almost by look alone.

"Chemical enhancement, perhaps?" Knockout on second thought not.

Run.

It was the moment where Chloe literally flew on her back, stuttered to get up and stand as well make run for it. No matter what she never turned, afraid that Megatron would come after her and punish her for the mistake she had made.

This was a bad idea!

Sooner than expected Chloe found her way on a smaller opening enough big for human only to go, seeing it was getting dark. She got out and slided down the small cliff which greeted her, until reached the sand spot and continued her run. Her feet ached for it already, and her backpack felt like snapping at any moment broken.

If one successful mission of the day; she got energon.

And nightmares for tonight!

A road was up ahead, as she saw a car coming from right direction. All she now needed was to get back before her Uncle calls the police and she's in big trouble.

"Wait!"

... What will become of this?

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Ohh, shit, remember this episode? I sure enjoy writing this, so please comment and share your thoughts which would cheer me to continue this.

~ keep reading.