Blue Monday|Transformers.

Chapter 16: A Duty of Care.

[Title: A Duty of Care - Murray Gold.]

The silence was mostly what enveloped their walk down the river following Primal. Clara still lingered by Optimus throughout the walk while Noah was in the back with Mirage and the others, and Elena was at the front with Primal. Despite it being hiking through slippery and wet terrain, Clara would take it over being in a plane that may or may not be about to drop out of the sky. "So...out of curiosity...who exactly is Unicron? The way he's talked about, he sounds like some sort of boogeyman." Clara spoke up as she walked next to Optimus, whose steps were clearly taking him much further than her, especially when she had to trudge through deeper water. Optimus's optics flickered to her for a moment, wondering whether he'd indulge her question.

"Unicron is chaos and destruction to our creator Primus' order and creation." He relents and begins to tell Clara who listens while keeping her focus ahead while trudging through deep water. "Long ago, he and Primus fought, Unicron consumed planets, until Primus defeated him with the thirteen original Primes. Unicron disappeared and had not been heard of until now." Optimus explained and Clara blinked in surprise before she nodded understandingly.

"Kinda like in Greek mythology for us, Zeus and Cronus...except I'm gonna assume Unicron and Primus aren't father and son." Clara concluded with a hum and glanced at Optimus who nodded. Seven years was long enough for him to know what she was talking about. If she had met him seven years ago, he'd have no idea what she was talking about yet. "Well, they both like the same thing, consuming their children or planets." She added with a mutter.

"He is a threat to everything and everyone. Keeping the key from him will stop Unicron and allow me to bring the autobots home." Optimus tells her and she nearly tensed at the mention of the key, especially knowing Noah's plan for it. She was still angry at him about it, but so conflicted because part of her wanted to tell Optimus but Noah was her friend. She didn't want either of them to get hurt. "And I promised your mother neither Scourge nor Unicron will take or use you for whatever knowledge they possess about your importance." He assures her calmly, Clara was thankful for that but she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of the promise.

"Thank you." Clara offered a smile and Optimus merely bowed his head in response. "What exactly is a Prime? It sounds like a title of sorts." She curiously asked the towering Prime. She recalled what Scourge had said about Optimus calling himself a Prime, about Primus. Though until now she had no idea who Primus was. Now she knew he was basically their god. Optimus found himself hesitating more to explain something that was, in a way, personal to him. Her curiosity and kindness continued to surprise him, yet deep down, he connected himself to her. Clara's inquisitive and wondering nature reminded him of a few autobots. The young doctor frowned and tilted her head slightly when Optimus was quiet and hadn't spoken.

"You are correct. It is a title." Optimus finally tells her after moments of silence and hesitation. She wasn't blind, she realized now this was a deep and personal thing to discuss with him. She understood and part of her regretted asking him. "It is the highest honor to be bestowed the title of Prime by the high council. Then an even higher honor to be gifted the matrix of leadership from Primus." He continued and Clara raised a brow at the mention of this 'matrix of leadership' but decided against asking him about it.

"Huh, interesting." Clara hummed with a smile while walking and gripping the straps of her backpack. Optimus glanced down at her for a moment and realized, he never asked her about herself, he seemed to always indulge her questions about him and his people.

"If I may ask...why did you choose to become a doctor?" Optimus asked slowly, again a hint of hesitation in his voice. He had no idea if this was potentially a sensitive question for her.

"I don't know, always found science, research, and medicine fascinating, it was fixation. Passion." She answered with a small shrug before her eyes flickered to him. "My mom was part of the fixation, her illness, cancer, and Charlie's dad dying, but I'd also say outside of my mom I only ever had Charlie and my interests to help me." Clara commented which made the Prime frown confused.