If Only

Chapter 6

I hate to admit, but waking up in a cell is much worse than waking up with a blistered and burned arm. This time, I wake up and know I cant help anything or do much and this is my fault.  Atleast back then I was at home, even though my arm still hurt, I wasn't confined in a tiny, metal looking cell that smelled like dirt 24\7.

It's been a week so far, and nothing has happened. Well, except for my new strife with another inmate. She had accused me of lying about my reasoning towards being sent here. It's not like hacking a bank is an entire lie! The hacking part isn't anyway.

The entirety of my stay here has been me either staying in my cell or aimlessly walking around. On occasion, I would stop by and exercise or read some but not much. I haven't even stopped to eat, I don't have an appetite at all.

I decided to read, so I stand up from the end of my bed, and slip out of my cell. Just as I did, I happen to hear a whisper of one of the guards conversations. Something about aliens. Which, I happen to concern myself with. Turning the corner, I listen in to hear more as they continue on about 'robots' and 'war.'

The funniest thing about it was when they began talking about a girl hacking into a classified military set out for the aliens. Ha, if only the knew the one they spoke if is listening in right now.

Just as I turned on my heel to leave, a guard stopped me.

"Hey! What are you doing out of your cell?"

Putting my hands up in defense, I turn back to him and say, "I was just going to the library."

"Get back to your cell, now!"

And I was shoved back, into the exact place I didn't want to be. Where I was forced to stay the rest of the day. Grumbling, I buried my face in my hands. Could this get any worse?

***
N.E.S.T.

6 days earlier

It's been quiet for the military, and for the autobots entirely since the incident played out before them. The government had nothing else to talk about the 19 year girl that barely made a scratch into their lives. To them, she was nothing but a meaningless criminal, and sadly that's what Phoneix was beginning to believe.

Phoneix took place in many of the soldiers minds, especially Epps and Lennox. They wished maybe something could be done, maybe so she didn't have to be in prison for so long. The soldiers had been told of her sentence, 12 years, it was a long time.

The military was sent back to Phoneix's home to retrieve her weapons or knowledge. Much intelligence was found, I will say. Under a warrant, they took her computer, which contained any footage of her fights and diagrams she made for bombs, and her weapons. The weapons consisted of few, small carry-on guns and mostly bombs. The most surprising factor to her group of guns was the helmet Phoneix constructed. To their amusement, it mimicked Optimus' head shape.

As of returning to base, they began decoding her computers passwords to see everything else she has kept secret. The military, (not including the government officials) were astonished as they watched the videos, all containing her times fighting off the Decepticons. She had done so, so bravely it seems and with no fear of getting hurt at all. How could she do that all alone? The N.E.S.T soldiers, including the Autobots, thought to themselves. The pain, the suffering she had endured was all to save the innocent civilians.

But if you looked so closely, after she had finished a battle and saved the people, Phoneix would walk off with a smile.

As if she did something right, she was proud.

They were beginning to regret their treatment towards her, her being in jail. Optimus and Lennox mostly. They hoped something could possibly be done to change it, just maybe. With high hopes, Lennox approached Galloway with an idea. An idea to she him what Phoneix had done.