Protector (TFP)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ -ᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ-

 ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ᴍɪɴᴅ

"Follow the light." Optimus optics went to the side as Ratchet looked over the mech. "Good," Ratchet said with a smile, turning off the flashlight with a click. "I wouldn't advise anything strenuous, Optimus, but it appears that your systems have fully recovered from the Cybonic plague." I grinned from the railing above, watching as my guardian got released from the device holding him.

I didn't know exactly what time it was, but I knew it was incredibly early. In normal circumstances, I would've been asleep right now, waiting for my alarm for school to go off. But despite myself, I was still worried about Optimus, and I couldn't bring myself to leave him. I had even been determined to stay up all night till I was sure everything was fine, but regrettably, I fell asleep, only waking up when my guardian had to be examined.

Some guard I am. I thought, my frustration disappearing as a small smile rose on Optimus's faceplates.

"Thanks to your medical expertise, old friend." The Prime complimented, gently placing a hand on the medic's shoulder. Ratchet shook his head, looking back at Bumblebee.

"It was your scout who braved unknown territory to locate the cure." Bumblebee whirred, shaking his hands bashfully, as his optics landed on the concrete below him.

"Lucky for us, Megatron was still alive," Arcee added. Bee buzzed something to the femme, and she let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, I actually said that." She muttered in disbelief. Ratchet ignored the two, turning back to Optimus.

"What matters is that you are on the mend Optimus. While Megatron..." Bumblebee finished Ratchet's sentence with a chirp, Arcee seeming to agree with whatever the scout said as she nodded.

"Bee's Right. Did my best to finish Megatron's story. Couldn't stick around long enough to see how it ended." The femme murmured darkly. My brows knitted, leaning against the railing with a frown. As much as I wanted to believe Megatron was gone, I knew better than to get my hopes up. If I had learned anything from TV shows or movies, the villain never dies easily.

I shook off my thoughts, stifling a yawn as I did. Lazily I listened to the others talk, my gaze never leaving Optimus's form for even a few seconds. As I stared, the air suddenly thickened, the pressure lingering on my chest. Knuckles white, I carefully sucked in a breath, the weight on my chest somehow becoming heavier.

In my confusion and panic, my gaze flickered upwards, landing on a particular scout. The mech stared into his servos, his optics blank as he seemed lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, as if cold water had been dumped on him, he snapped out of it. If I were paying attention, I would've noticed a flicker of white light fade into my necklace, and as suddenly as the feeling came, it was gone.

Strange.

"Astra?" I tore my gaze from the yellow mech, reluctantly turning toward Ratchet.

"Did you need something?" I wondered, my voice only wavering slightly. It seemed he didn't notice my discomfort, only venting as he pointed to the groundbridge.

"I asked if you wanted to be ground bridged home. You have a couple of hours until you need to head to school." He repeated. My gaze flickered to my guardian, uncertainty flitting across my face. Optimus's optics softened in understanding, taking a step toward me as he outstretched his servo.

"I'll see you after work." The Prime promised, patiently waiting for me to step onto his servo. I hesitated momentarily before gently sliding over the railing and onto his palm. The metal was warmer than I thought it would be as I grabbed onto his finger. My grip only tightened as he gently lowered me to the concrete below him, and I waited until he was still before jumping off.