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Chapter 41: Multiple Apologizes
Sabrina, Graham, and Natasha's eyes open quickly in unison. Their monitors are going crazy as the trio's hearts are racing. Ironhide and Optimus turn on their holoforms then go over to their children. After calming the teenagers down Ratchet loosens the restraints that he used to keep the trio from moving around in their beds, Sabrina is the first to speak."I'm sorry that I put all of you in danger and risked blowing your cover to come to our rescue," Sabrina says, "I should never have told Cliff not to go into the school with us. If I did, we wouldn't be in this situation," Sabrina continues as a few tears start to stream down her face.
Chromia activates her holoform, then it, along with Elena and Julian, walk over to their daughter.
"Sweetspark, please stop talking, you need to save your strength," Chromia says as she wipes the tears away from Sabrina's eyes.
"Chromia is right, Sabrina, we happy that all of you are going to be alright," Julian adds.
"But I failed again to protect Brandon from harm. I don't understand how Alpha Trion expects me to Restore Cybertron when I can't even protect the ones I love," Sabrina says.
"Sabrina, I feel just as bad as you do right now about my recent failure," Graham adds.
Sabrina tries to sit up again, but Chromia lays her back down. So, she turns her head to the left to see Optimus holding Graham up in a sitting position with his legs dangling over the side of the bed.
"What are you talking about, son?" Optimus asks.
"I made a promise to Sabrina that Nothing is going to happen to Brandon or her and that I would protect her. I let you down as well." Graham says.
"It is not your fault, my son." Optimus assured Graham, "The Decepticons are ruthless. We all know this. Megatron has his sights set on you four, and he will stop for nothing to get you."
Graham nodded but still felt responsible for what occurred. He wondered what it would be like if he hadn't reunited with his family and what lies Megatron would have fed him.
"Get some rest," Chromia said and left with Optimus.
When he closed his eyes, he felt different.
Strikezone walked around the nemesis as he searched for his father. Megatron orders him to go into battle with the Autobots and their recruits, Sabrina, Brandon, and Natasha. His conscience fought him to follow Megatron's command to offline the young boy to get to Sabrina. Yet. He entered the bridge and saw his father, the Decepticon leader, Megatron, with his back turned to him.
"Father, you requested me?" Strikerzone called.
"Yes. Soundwave found the boy known as Brandon alone. Kill him." Megatron ordered.
Strikerzone nodded and left through the bridge. He saw the boy as Brandon saw him. He lifted his arm as he transformed it into a gun and fired.
Graham woke with a gasp, fear gripping at spark. He feared the monster he would have become and knew he needed to get out of there. Go somewhere he can relax and get a hold of himself. Sabrina's eyes start to flutter as an old memory begins to replay inside her mind.
The four-year-old Swiftglide just had a bad dream and climbed off her berth. She tiptoes out and walks down the hallway of the daycare to where the younger Cybertronians were sleeping. She notices that the worker left the door ajar enough that one of the babies who were old enough to crawl could get out. Swiftglide slides in, closing it behind her. The toddler didn't hear the lock click shut as she goes over to a crib and smiles at the small a tiny orange and red robot as he raises his head to look at her. Swiftglide starts to climb inside to play with the little mech as a pair of hands grab her by the sides, pulling her away before she had a chance to put her left foot down.
"What are you doing here, little lady? You're supposed to be in the toddler room," the worker says, setting Swiftglide on the floor.
"I had a bad dream and couldn't go back into power down. I left to see if I could help take care of the younger Cybertronians," Swiftglide answers, "Can I play with that little mech, please?"
"Sorry, sweetspark, but I'm afraid Scorch here is still too little for you to play with," the worker says.
"But, I wouldn't hurt him. I've always wanted a little brother, but I got stuck with a twin sister," Swiftglide says.
Sabrina awoke shortly after and looked around. Graham was gone. Thinking he had just joined the others, she got off the bed and walked into the main silo. Brandon was playing with Raf but, still, no sign of Graham.
"Where's Graham?" Sabrina asks.
"He's not resting? Ratchet questions and turns to the computers to look at security footage, "He left, it seems."
"Why would he leave?" Cliffjumper asks, confused, "He knows the cons are looking for him."
"I don't know, but his signal isn't showing up. He's managed to hide." Ratchet says.
Sabrina leaned against the wall, worried for Graham. She thought about all the possible places Graham would have gone. Then she remembered the cave.
"I know where he is." Sabrina says, "I'll go figure out why he left."
She turned into Swiftglide and drove out of the base. A few minutes later she arrives at the forest. Then changes into her human form and runs off down the path. Sabrina takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before walking into the cave. Graham quickly stood up and changing into Strikezone he groans as his head hits the cave ceiling.
"Calm down. Graham is only me. You know that I'm the only person who knows about this place," Sabrina says.
Graham lets out a sigh of relief as changes back into his human form. He sat down on the ground as Sabrina joined him.
"Why'd you leave?" Sabrina asks.
"I worry about what will happen when Megatron gets a hold of me. I, uh, had a dream where I was a Con and believed that Megatron was my father. He ordered me to kill someone." Graham told her, guilt gripping at his spark as he looked at her eyes, "He ordered me to kill Brandon."
Sabrina set a hand on his arm to encourage him to continue.
"I left the warship through a bridge and came up behind him. I shot him without hesitation." Graham continued, "Then, I woke up and came here. I can't stand the thought of killing anyone of the bots."
"Graham, you won't turn into a monster. The bots won't let that happen, and neither will I. The bots got us out of there safely, and Ratchet expelled all the Dark Energon. Megatron can't control or manipulate us into becoming monsters. Even if he did, the bots would help us return to our normal selves." Sabrina told him.
The two sit and talk for a little bit longer. Sabrina mentions her dream/memory from when she was four and wanted to play with a baby mech called Scorch and also about her always wanting to have a little brother. They exit the cave and get a few steps down the path, their phones ring.
"Thank goodness, I've been trying to contact you two for the past ten minutes," Ratchet says.
"Why did you two turn off your comlinks?" Ironhide adds.
"We didn't turn them off Ratchet," Graham says.
"Yes, our secret spot just blocks our signal," Sabrina adds.
"I'm sending a bridge.", Ratchet says.
"Why, did the cons' track us down?" Graham asks.
"I'm afraid so," Ratchet says.