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I stepped into the main room, where Ratchet was busy pouring different liquids into a small white device with five different test-tubes in it. "Did Optimus see the cards? Did he like them?" Miko asked me, running over to the handrail from the platform near my shoulder-plate. I smiled at the enthusiastic human girl,"He says 'thank you.'" Miko jumped in the air, both fists above her head,"Yyyyess!!" "Did he like the flowers?" Jack asked,"My mom and I were in town when we heard so we decided to buy some get-well flowers for him." "He loved them. He loved everything you gave him," I replied with an even bigger smile. Raf smiled back,"I hope he gets better really soon." "So do we," I said. I now knew why Optimus liked this species so much. They were creative, kind, and really cared for others. Though Raf and Jack had both been a little leary of me for the first time, after a little while though they seemed to relax. Miko liked me straightaway, as I did her. She reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger. Like...several thousand stellar-cycles younger. Suddenly one of the consoles started beeping like crazy and Ultra Magnus went to check it out. "What is it?" I asked, walking up behind him. "An unknown signal but it's...Cybertronian," Magnus replied in disbelief. "Could be a refugee or an enemy," I murmered,"We should send a scout team." "Good idea," Ultra Magnus agreed with me,"You, me, Arcee, and Bumblebee shall investigate the new signal." "What about us?" Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen asked at the same time in the same pouty tone. "We need experienced warriors who won't blow everything up in sight," Ultra Magnus replied coldly, the last part seeming to be aimed directly for Wheeljack. "Don't worry, I'll beat some 'cons for you if it helps you feel better," I offered with a smile,"I'm sure they received the same signal." "I'd prefer to do the beating myself but...good luck," Bulkhead smiled back. Arcee typed in the coordinates and opened the ground-bridge. I was one of the first ones through, coming out beside Ultra Magnus with Arcee and Bumblebee behind us. We had bridged into a mountainous area, with tall, dense coniferous trees growing everywhere. I looked at the tracker Ratchet had given me and aimed it around until it started beeping. "Northwest, three kilometers," I reported to the others. "Be on your guard," Ultra Magnus warned before starting ahead. I brought up the rear with Arcee and Bumblebee, summoning a single kopesh. The air was thick with the sharp scent of pine needles and decaying vegatation. Birds, squirrels, and chipmunks chattered in the trees above us. A bush nearby rustled and a couple rabbits bounded out, startled by the thud of our ped-steps. 'This would be a good place to take Optimus when he's feeling better,' I thought with a small smile. "Everybody halt," Ultra Magnus hissed, stopping abruptly. I didn't stop in time and bumped into him by accident, but apologized and backed away again. "What is it?" Arcee asked,"Decepticons?" "I don't know," Ultra Magnus replied,"But I thought I heard large movement nearby. Chardirakii, scout from above." I nodded and transformed into my beast mode before launching through the trees into the air. I hovered above the thick canopy of dark green, orange, scarlet, and gold, looking for any signs of movement. A flash of blue! No that was a bluejay. I kept looking. Suddenly there was a loud snapping sound and something wrapped around my frame, trapping my wings against my body. I fell and hit the ground with a crash, snapped branches and twigs littering the ground around me. I roared in annoyance, then pain as the net around me started to electrocute me. "Chardirakii!" my team-mates cried, running over to me. "Don't touch that creature!" a female voice cried,"It is dangerous!" Ignoring the voice, Bumblebee began tugging on the net, only got electrocuted and had to let go. "Show yourself!" Ultra Magnus demanded, pulling out the Forge of Solus Prime, now little more than a war-hammer. I heard ped-steps behind me and a sharp intake of breath from my team-mates. I growled, twisting in the painful net. I wanted to see whose face-plates I wanted to tear off right now. "You are all fortunate I was able to capture this beast before it attacked you," the female voice continued,"I saw it hovering above your position." ::She's no beast!:: Bumblebee protested angrily::She's our friend!:: "Ah, the creature has a gender." I lashed my tail, managing to stab it out of the net. I swung the blade-like end and cut through the net easily. There was a brief snap of electric shock, but then it disappeared and I climbed back onto all fours with a snarl. "Back! Back!" the voice cried. I glared at the femme. She had violet and dark green armor that matched the pine trees, magenta optics, and tall, thin, moveable audio fins. Transforming, I pulled out a kopesh and pointed it at her,"Hexia. Long time." "Ch-Chardirakii!?" Hexia exclaimed, then grinned hugely and tackled me in a bear hug,"It has been a long time! I can't believe I didn't recognize my own sister!" I pushed her away,"I am not your sister." "Oh right. You joined...him," Hexia grumbled, then her smile appeared again,"But you're here now so we can start anew!" I rolled my optics,"Just why are you here, Hexia? I thought you had other assignments." "All finished," Hexia grinned,"When I heard from sire you were back, I just had to see you again. I just didn't expect you to be a Predacon." "Long story, not enough time to explain," I muttered. "Chardirakii, you know this femme?" Ultra Magnus asked. I nodded,"We were both created by the same mech." "Unicron," Arcee replied, putting it together at once. I nodded again. "I'm not sure we can trust you enough to take you back to our base," Ultra Magnus told Hexia. "Oh? Why not?" Hexia pouted,"You let Chardirakii in." "That's because I helped them," I pointed out. 'And because my Sparkmate is their leader,' my processors added as an afterthought. "Well I tried to help you," Hexia huffed, crossing her arms,"How was I supposed to know Chardirakii had a beast mode?" "I'm sorry, but it goes against protocol 637, paragraph 8," Ultra Magnus stated, pulling up a screen. "Meh, I don't care for rules like that," Hexia scoffed, then looked at me,"Please, Chardirakii?" I shook my helm,"I'm not sure we can trust you." "Pleeaase? Pretty pretty please with candied energon on top?" Hexia begged, making her magenta optics as huge as she could and clasping her servos in front of her chest-plate. I crossed my arms,"If Magnus says 'no', then my answer is 'no', Hexia." Hexia pouted and stomped her ped,"You're all mean." "Now you're just acting like a spoiled sparkling," I stated. "Please?" Hexia asked again, then sighed,"I'll prove myself, I really will." We all exchanged glances. Could we risk it? I looked back at the femme, then nodded. "Yay!" she exclaimed and hugged me again,"I'm going to make you so proud of me, sis!" I pushed away,"Again, I am not your sister. And I'm going to hold you to your promise to prove yourself. If you don't you're off the team, understood?" Hexia nodded like one of those bobble-head things Miko sometimes had attached to her backpack. "Good." Arcee pressed her commlink,"Ratchet, coming back with a new arrival." I too, pressed my comm,"And please, for goodness sake don't hurl wrenches at new bots!"
