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When Optimus landed and set me down on the ground beside him, I wasn't surprised to receive several odd stares. "Optimus, what is she doing here?" Arcee asked, as usual, being bluntly honest in her feelings towards me. "Shouldn't it be obvious?" I asked,"I'm joining your side." This caused even more confused stares. "Is this for real?" Wheeljack asked,"Last I heard you were kicking 'con tailpipe left an' right without givin' us a second slag." "Opinions change," I shrugged,"If you are willing to accept me into your team I will gladly fight alongside you." 'Mostly Optimus,' my processors added as an afterthought. Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen joined us. The rookie looked pretty upset when he saw me. "You," he growled. "Yes?" I asked, slightly confused. "You took Optimus from us!" the rookie shouted, pointing a digit at me,"Just like so many others." Ah yes. Now I remembered the mech. He'd come to see me burn at the stake several times. I rolled my optics,"I only take the oldest sparks, the ones who cannot bear life any longer." "B-but...you're the Goddess of Death!" Smokescreen argued, then stopped when I held up a digit. "Correction...was the Goddess of Death," I replied,"I am no longer a goddess." "So...you're...mortal now?" Bulkhead asked. ::Why would you give up immortality for a group of war-hardened Autobots?:: Bumblebee added. "Immortality, when seen by those who do not possess it, think of it as a gift, Bumblebee," I replied, then shook my helm slowly,"Do not be fooled. It is a curse. One I had no trouble giving up." "I too, fail to understand how immortality is a curse," Ultra Magnus said,"To never be killed, nor fall ill sounds like quite a blessing to me." "To live on sounds pleasing indeed," I agreed,"But your friends grow old while you remain young, and eventually they die, and you are left wishing you could have gone with them. Immortality is a curse because you cannot love, you cannot have any feelings for anyone else because you know...eventually they will pass and you will remain." The Autobots were all silent after this, then Bumblebee approached me. I looked down at the brave scout and smiled at him,"Do you want to say something?" Bumblebee nodded, then beeped out, ::Thank you:: Then he threw his arms around my waist (he only came up to under my chest-plate) and hugged me. For a second I stood there, surprised, then my smile grew and I hugged the sweet mech back. "By the way, is Archanature offline?" Arcee asked. I nodded in reply,"Even if he still clung to life, the collapse of the base would've crushed him." "I thought so. We heard you singing all the way down here," Arcee smirked, crossing her arms and jutting out a hip sassily. I smiled,"I have been known to make armies tremble with my voice." "Right before you murdered them all," Smokescreen muttered bitterly. Ultra Magnus stood behind the rookie and flicked his audio receptor. "Ouch! Hey, what the frag?" Smokescreen cried, glaring at the much taller mech. "Respect your superiors," Ultra Magmus scolded. "Wait, she's a higher ranking?" Smokescreen cried. "A higher ranking than you," Ultra Magnus replied. "So you accept me as an Autobot?" I asked. Optimus looked at his companions, then back at me. "It is up to them, not me," he said. Bulkhead immediately nodded,"I definitely wanna see you in battle." "I second that," Wheeljack grinned, fist-bumping his friend,"I bet she'd be a real badaft on the field." Bumblebee nodded and hugged me again, making happy whirring noises. Arcee shrugged, then nodded,"She'll be useful." Ultra Magnus also nodded,"As long as you respect rules and obey authority." Smokescreen kicked the dirt with his ped, then grumbled an "Alright fine." "Welcome to Team Prime, Chardirakii," Optimus said, setting a servo on my shoulder-plate. "What will Ratchet think of this?" Smokescreen muttered. "Ha! He'll probably throw a wrench at her," Wheeljack laughed,"He likes to do that to newbies." I laughed with the silver Wrecker. He could try. There was a 98% I would catch it and give it back nicely though. The other 2% was me getting hit with the wrench and throwing it back at the medic. "Ratchet, open a ground-bridge," Optimus ordered through his comm,"We are bringing a new member into the base." Soon the swirling turquoise portal opened and one by one we went through. I came after Arcee, who was just behind Optimus, and as anticipated...caught the flying wrench. "Optimus, it's great seeing you alive and well again...BUT OF ALL THE CYBERTRONIANS IN THE UNIVERSE YOU BRING THE GODDESS OF DEATH!?!?!" I laughed and handed the wrench back to the medic, who looked at it as if it were acid,"I can assure you it is perfectly safe to be around me. Unless you are a Decepticon. Then you're scrapped." Ratchet gingerly took the wrench from me, and I waited to see if he'd hurl it at me again. "Fine...but where will she recharge? We don't have enough rooms," Ratchet pointed out. I frowned. That was a slight problem. I could sleep outside if need be, and if the weather agreed. "Is anyone willing to share a room with Chardirakii?" Optimus asked. There were some mumbles and many optics trained on the floor. No one seemed to want to spend a night with me in their room. "Sorry, Prime," Smokescreen said, shrugging,"I...don't think anyone here does." Optimus looked at Ratchet, who immediately shook his helm 'no'. "Very well, Chardirakii may share a room with me until another can be provided," Optimus announced. I could feel a bit of warmth rising in my cheeks, but squashed it back down. This was...unexpected. Not unpleasant...but unexpected for sure. "Arcee, will you kindly show Chardirakii around the base?" Optimus asked. "Sure," Arcee replied,"Come on." I smiled and followed the two-wheeler. This was going to be great.
