Niave

Chapter 10: So Much for Being Rational

Lila's vision was assaulted by brilliant blues and greens as she fell through a magical tunnel without the comfort of Megatron's interior around her. Her eyes didn't have enough time to adjust when she reached the other side and the ground rose up and punched her.

The staff slid from Lila's grasp, clattering out of reach. She moaned, peeling her face off the concrete floor as it darkened. Frowning, Lila glanced up, her eyes widening comically as a giant Autobot body plummeted out of the groundbridge.

"YAH!" Lila rolled aside and lunged away, for once utilizing her mother's training. A sense of familiarity from Megatron chucking objects at her also came to mind.

Lila panted and scooped up her staff, looking around at the bots standing around the room. Arcee and Cliffjumper stood up, also turning to her. Lila took another timid step back, her eyes glinting with fear.

From the midst of the Autobots, a familiar figure stepped out, a soft expression on his face.

"You remember me?" Optimus asked gently, kneeling down to her.

Lila nodded. "Optimus Prime."

"You can call me Optimus," he told her. "And you're Lila Vinci?"

Lila's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't tell you my name."

A much louder voice cracked the quiet atmosphere and Lila's head snapped to the side.

"That's because I did," a lithe human man approached them from the side. His stands were on his hips and he glanced at the Staff of Primus as if it was a Christmas present that his parents gave to the wrong sibling.

The man stopped in front of her and held out his hand. "Special Agent Samuel Henches. I'm from the U.S. You, Ms. Vinci, have stirred up quite a bit of international trouble."

Lila swallowed hard. "Well, um... sorry."

Henches grasped her outstretched hand tightly and shook it curtly before crossing his arms. "We've looked over the scene of your temple back in Egypt. Your mom lived with you? Is she still with the Decepticons or did she manage to get away? Did the 'cons get their claws on anything else of importance? We couldn't get into the temple, but we know you and Megatron did."

"I–" Lila took another step back and ran into the wall. The staff warmed beneath her fingers. "She's... she's dead..."

Henches and the other Autobots tensed.

Lila pulled the staff closer and lowered her gaze. "They didn't get anything else."

Optimus cleared his throat and slowly reached his servo toward her before setting it on the floor. "If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate to talk with you outside. Alone."

Henches scoffed. "Not without me you aren't."

Optimus returned his gaze to Henches and made direct eye contact for a long three seconds before the special agent shut his mouth and looked away in defeat. Optimus turned back to Lila and offered her a small, encouraging smile.

Lila looked at Optimus's servo cautiously and considered her options. Go in the enemy's hand or try to shoot them all. She didn't exactly want to shoot anyone. Optimus was kind, and when they first met, he'd tried to protect her, even when he knew it was a losing battle.

Would Megatron have done the same?

Did it matter? Megatron wanted his enemies dead at any cost. If Optimus knew she'd been working with them, would he kill her?

Lila gripped her staff a bit tighter glanced up into the Prime's blue optics. They swam with understanding and gentle confidence. Lila wasn't sure if that was enough to convince her, but her feet moved forward anyway, step-by-step until she was standing right in front of his digits. She tried to pause, to hesitate, but it was as if some magical force had taken her decision into it's own hands. The staff was drawn to him.