Eyes of the Eons

Chapter 15: Demons of the Past

"You need to let me find you. I know you don't want to stay cooped up in the Pentagon. We can work on that, alright, but I need you to tell me where you are. Please."

Minerva sighed. She didn't plan on returning anytime soon, but General Bryce's words lingered in her mind. And his tone. The man was notorious for his steel, but he'd sounded so desperate. It was the most weakness he'd ever displayed and he'd even offered to negotiate. He was a man of his word and Minerva believed him.

It was no surprise he cared about her. Minerva and him had been enemies, no doubt, but she knew they had their bond. The general had been there for her since the beginning. Of course, their time was always split, he was a busy man, but he was always there at the end of the night. His presence kept her sanity intact.

The sheer magnitude of his desperation that broke her heart. She'd expected a reaction, but not this. For the last few years, Minerva had been hell bent on running away and escaping this terrible concept of duty, but now she felt embarrassed. As if her life goal was a meanless endeavor and her struggles had been for naught.

Everything seemed pointless now.

Minerva's head rose from her knees as Megatron cleared his throat.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Minerva frowned. "Why? What are you thinking about?"

Caught off guard, Megatron paused. "I'm... bored."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "What about your eons of knowledge that entertain you?"

"It got old," he replied. "And it feels unnatural for you to be so quiet. So what are you thinking about?"

Minerva tilted her head. "The general."

Megatron's engine hummed a bit louder. "Ah."

With a small sigh, Minerva lowered her feet to the floor and leaned her head back. "I just, I worry about him. I'm sure he's proud I bit a terrorist, but it can't be all that settling to know your granddaughter is still out there."

"I thought you hated him."

"No," Minerva blew a breath in exasperation. "I love him. We just... have disagreements."

Megatron was quiet.

Minerva picked at her jeans. "I'm really grateful for him. I am. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive. But... he expects so much of me... and so little. All at the same time. I don't want to be some government agent, tied to laws and the watchful eye of the public. I want to be free."

"Free to do what?"

"I don't know," Minerva sighed. "But maybe he's right. There are bad people out there and I should be doing something to stop them."

Megatron slowed. He was once one of those bad people. He might still be.

"What do you mean," Megatron started, "that you wouldn't be alive if not for him? How often are you kidnapped?"

Minerva scoffed. "Oh, I've never been kidnapped before yesterday. That was a first. He saved me from my parents."

"Your parents tried to kill you?"

She shrugged. "More or less. When my mom realized she was pregnant, they were horrified. They were agents. They weren't supposed to be together, and they certainly didn't have room for a child in their illegal relationship. So they tried to get an abortion off the charts. Of course, their superiors found out anyway and they were arrested. Their badges were stripped."

Minerva looked down. "Even though they weren't in the military and had been dishonorably discharged, General Bryce was happy with them. They'd followed their hearts and he was going to be a grandfather. The problem was that the military ran in my family. Every person had been in the military in some way as far back as we could trace our lineage. They weren't willing to be normal citizens yet.