tv, Various Locations, Nightwish

[dens_extra_pups]

Sideburn: *just got teased by older brother for rejecting the advances of a beautiful red sports car... who turned out to be Kriti dressed up in a hologram* You don't understand, Prowl! You've never been in love!

X-Brawn: *watches Prowl walk laughing from the rec room* Wahl now. Sure he has.

Sideburn: *stares at oldest brother* ...You're pullin' my leg, X-Brawn.

X-Brawn: Naw... *will get out an image to prove it* This was 'bout a half a vorn before you came online... *Will show the younger mech an image of Prowl and a white and pale blue femme*

Sideburn: Aww, they were just kids. That doesn't count.

X-Brawn: *is so grinning behind that mask of his* Prowl gave her a gift one time...

Sideburn: So? *blinks* Wait... you mean...

X-Brawn: *nod* I witnessed it... *chuckle*

Sideburn: *optics look like they're going to pop out* You're joking! What was her name? What happened to her?

X-Brawn: She didn't have a name at the time... 'N I dunno what happened to her...

Sideburn: *frowns* No name? Was she a factory kid? And how can you not know what happened to her?

X-Brawn: *Shrugs a shoulder* I always called her Princess, 'cause she was such a dignified-lookin' lady.... 'N things happen, people drift apart...

Prowl: *coming back* Look at this, mail from home! *has three boxes in his arms*

Sideburn: Alright! *springs toward brother* Now I can show Kriti the most EPIC of games!

X-Brawn: *Chuckle* Whose mail, Prowl?

Prowl: *juggling boxes after Sideburn snatches one* Well, these two are for you and me.

X-Brawn: *soft 'heh', moves to see which box is for him*

Sideburn: *scooting off to show Kriti the game*

Prowl: *passes over the larger box, and then frowns at the return address on his own* *to self* Funny... I don't recognize this...

X-Brawn: *As he opens his box, which turns out to be a stasis container of strange, yellow fruits* So you've got an admirerer?

Prowl: Hmmm. *starts opening box*

X-Brawn: *Chuckles and reads off the nutritional analysis of the fruit* Perceptor doesn't go halfway with things, that's for sure... *looks over at Prowl when he realizes that the younger mech is being very quiet*

Prowl: *standing and staring into his box. Isn't even circulating*

X-Brawn: *frown, moves to see what's got Prowl so spooked*

Prowl: *optics dim as he looks at the little squeaky doll that a much younger mech once gave to a slender little white femme*

X-Brawn: *will gently pat Prowl's back* *Quietly* I'm sorry, Prowl....

Prowl: *startles and looks at brother. Quietly* She's alive.

X-Brawn: ... *puzzled look is a go*

Prowl: If she sent this back, then she's alive.

X-Brawn: Are ya sure? Usually, someone sending a courtin' gift back means that they're dead...

Prowl: *quietly* But she said she didn't have anyone. *frowns and looks down at the doll again, wondering if he's grasping at wind* But that was a long time ago... *hoping if she was all alone then it meant she had to have sent it, but now he's taking to spark what his brother has said* *even more quietly* No. You're right.

X-Brawn: *more careful patpat*

Prowl: *sets the box down on the table* Well, standing around isn't going to get my patrol covered. I'll see you later, X-Brawn. *gone*

X-Brawn: *soft sigh, will grab the stasis container and take it to Kelly*

Later

Liedherze: Ache! Vhy are all REVs so stupid??? *winces at the car/train collision that just happened as she tried to shake the cloaked Spychanger* Ache ache!

Midnight Express: *calling for help from his teammates*

Spychangers: *have forgotten about retreating Predacons and are trying to provide emergency care to damaged teammate and the young train going into shock*

Liedherz: *sighs and catches REV's spark, and then takes him straight to Optimus at the base*

Optimus: *sounding shocked* //Spychangers, Team Bullet Train, report to base immediately.//

Rapid Run: *trying to get Midnight Express to calm down for the trip back*

Railspike: //We just had a situation come up, Optimus. There was...//

Optimus: //I know what happened. Crosswise, I need you back here. I have no idea how to use this spark pot.//

Hot Shot: What???

Crosswise: //I'm on my way.//

Hot Shot: //Optimus, what are you saying?//

Optimus: //I'm saying that if Crosswise doesn't hurry REV's spark will go out.//

Crosswise: *going!*

Mirage: But... *looks at the ruined body that Crosswise had been working on, and then scoops it up and darts through the space bridge as it opens*

Railspike: *herding Midnight Express and Rapid Run through after him* Easy, Midnight. He's not dead. It's going to be alright.

Rapid Run: *helping herd Midnight Express* Yeah. 'N when he's feeling better, we gotta make sure he knows t' look both ways before crossing next time!

Optimus: //Autobot Brothers, will you check out the rail yard and make sure the Predacons are really gone?//

X-Brawn: //On it.//

Prowl: //Yessir.//

Sideburn: //Got it, Optimus.//

golden eyes: *watch the brothers from the shadows as they transform and investigate*

Sideburn: *Picking up REV bits, since it seems the Predacons and Decepticons have cleared out for now*

X-Brawn: *a ways off from Sideburn, is also picking up REV bits*

Prowl: *To Optimus* //The area seems clear, sir.//

Optimus: //Alright. *small sound of shaky relief* REV's going to be alright.//

Prowl: *Looks relieved* //Thank the Maker...//

Crosswise: //It'll take a little while to get his body back online, but Liedherz says she can recover his memory files even if his processor took too much damage for us to salvage it.//

Prowl: //...// *Stalls*

Sideburn: //... What?!//

Optimus: *quietly* //We'll talk about it when you return to base.//

X-Brawn: *will make sure his siblings get back to the base safely* //We'll be back as soon as we finish picking up the parts'a REV that got scattered across the area...//

Hot Shot: //Hey, Railspike, don't hit Heavy Load, he's just trying to help.//

Railspike: //Yeah, well, Midnight doesn't need a hangover on top of what's already bothering him.// *gruff and growly*

Optimus: //Alright, Brothers. Optimus Prime out.//

X-Brawn, Sideburn, and Prowl: *Acknowledge and close the connection. Then they're working to pick up the pieces of the spychanger*

Prowl: *Feeling a bit like he's being watched, will go to investigate*

X-Brawn: Where ya goin', Prowl? *looks up from armload of REV bits*

Prowl: Something doesn't seem right...

X-Brawn: *frowns* Need a hand?

Prowl: Keep Sideburn out of trouble... *keeping on guard as he moves to investigate near some of the train cars*

black shadow: *whisks away at the edge of his vision*

Prowl: *Looks that way, moves to carefully follow*

golden eyes: *flash and then vanish behind a box car*

Prowl: *hurries around to the other side of the box car*

area: *empty!*

Prowl: *frown, looks around*

black panther: *hurtles down from above and hits him right in the chest*

Prowl: *Startled yell, tries to get the panther off of his chest after he's knocked off his feet*

panther: *powerful jaws close around his neck, crushing his vocalizer*

Prowl: *Static*

panther: *sits up and looks down at him with those golden eyes, and then lifts a paw and lets out five crystal claws, which she cleans carefully*

Prowl: *pained static, can't call for help now, but he's still trying to do so!*

panther: *finishes washing paw and then looks at him again* *deepish alto voice* You Autobots never were good at remembering.

Prowl: ! *more static*

panther: *foot on his chest, and then spreads a pair of dragon wings and shoots up into the night just as Prowl's brothers come running around the box car*

X-Brawn: *calling for assistance while Sideburn sets to work on keeping Prowl from bleeding out*

Heavy Load: *pulls up and transforms, then sets Comet Chaser down so that she can hurry over and work on the damaged brother* What happened?

X-Brawn: No clue... Sideburn 'n I were picking up the pieces of REV that got left here, when we heard Prowl yell...

Heavy Load: Hmmmm. *looks to see if he can find any tracks* No energy signatures?

Sideburn: We didn't pick up anything...

Comet Chaser: *looks up* {He's not bleeding. Whoever did this only damaged his vox so he couldn't speak.}

Sideburn: *nods, frowning* *Out loud as well* {Looks like claws...}

Comet Chaser: *shakes head* {Teeth.}

Prowl: *Static, is trying to sign that he knows who attacked him*

Comet Chaser: *pats Sideburn and points to Prowl's hands* {Look/listen.}

Heavy Load: *comes back and looks too, his optics full of concern*

Sideburn: *Watching his older brother's hands*

Prowl: {No name... Know her voice anywhere...}

Heavy Load: ... *looks at X-Brawn and Sideburn*

X-Brawn: ... *Getting the image he showed Sideburn earlier* *Will show it to Prowl, who nods* Well, I'll be....

Heavy Load: *signing and speaking* Hey. *gentle big hand on Prowl's shoulder as the smaller mech starts to cry* Who is that?

Sideburn: *is just big optics as he watches all this*

Prowl: *shuttering his optics as fluid starts to trail down his cheeks* {Sweetheart...}

Heavy Load: *winces, and then signs, the gestures small to show that he's speaking quietly* {Here. Let me pick him up so we can get him back to base.}

X-Brawn: *makes Sideburn move so Heavy Load can get Prowl* *optics a bit dim at the thought that Prowl's sweetheart was willing to attack him*

Comet Chaser: *scrambles up and sits on Heavy Load's shoulder without thinking*

Heavy Load: *straightens, holding Prowl close* You have the pieces of REV?

X-Brawn: We've got a bit more to get still... *Will gently usher Sideburn back to the task that got abandoned*

Heavy Load: Okay. We'll wait. *looks down at Prowl with concern*

Comet Chaser: *doing the same*

Prowl: *cycling air and staticking as he cries*

X-Brawn and Sideburn: *making quick work of picking up the last bits of REV*

Comet Chaser: *slides down and puts her arms around Prowl. Showing a surprising streak of motherliness as she holds him and pats his shoulder*

X-Brawn: *hurrying back once he and Sideburn have finished picking up the pieces of the yellow spychanger*

Prowl: *a bit shaky now due to crying*

Heavy Load: Got it? *holding Prowl protectively*

X-Brawn: *nod* Every little bit.

Heavy Load: Alright. //We're ready, T-AI.//

T-AI: //Space bridge ready and open!//

Comet Chaser: *startles slightly at the flash of light, and then shows it to Prowl*

Prowl: {Space bridge... Quick travel...}

Comet Chaser: *nods* {You'll be home soon.}

Heavy Load: *steps through the bridge and right into the medbay* Here we are. *goes over to put Prowl on a table*

Sideburn and X-Brawn: *Go to bring the recovered pieces of REV to Crosswise*

Crosswise: Thanks. Put them over there. *watching Railspike sit beside an obviously sedated Midnight Express*

Sideburn: *Doing so, glancing over his shoulder on occasion to check on how Prowl is doing*

Crosswise: Heavy Load, take Comet Chaser and get out of here. Take Sideburn with you.

Sideburn: *Protests!*

Crosswise: *frowns at him* Sideburn... *signing as he talks* Just go. You can't help with anything right now, and I'm sure I heard Kriti acting up out there a few clicks ago.

Heavy Load: *takes Sideburn and Comet Chaser out*

Crosswise: *looks at X-Brawn* You better call Kelly. I hate it when she yells at me.

X-Brawn: *nods and goes to do so*

Crosswise: *comes over to look at Prowl and frowns* What happened?

Prowl: {Sweetheart... got the jump on me...}

Crosswise: Who's Sweetheart? *checking the damage and noting to himself the parts he'll need*

Prowl: {Old girlfriend...}

Crosswise: *gives him a funny look* You had a girlfriend?

Prowl: *small nod, wince as he jars his injury*

Crosswise: *hand on his shoulder* Just lay still while I get what we need to repair this.

Prowl: *Tips his head back and cycles air to try and keep from crying again*

X-Brawn: *Coming back to check on Prowl* What's got Kriti in stitches this time?

Crosswise: *frowning as he returns with parts and tools* I don't really know. What with REV's accident, and Prowl's damage, and Optimus having to take Magnus to the ER because she's bleeding internally...

X-Brawn: ... Bleeding internally?

Crosswise: Yes. She woke up in pain, and then realized that she was bleeding. Kriti heard her say something about it and staggered out of the medbay.

X-Brawn: *slight headtilt* I hope Magnus is okay...

Crosswise: *gently sedates Prowl and then starts to work on his vocalizer* So do I. And I wish I knew why he hadn't changed back when Kriti did. *glances toward the door as it opens* Not now, Kriti.

Kriti: *Still chuckling* Ultra Magnus is having girl problems... *Far too amused at that*

Crosswise: Not no... what? *turns his head and looks at her*

X-Brawn: *Facepalming, and trying not to snicker.*

Crosswise: *looks at him too* What's so funny?

X-Brawn: I know what's wrong with Ultra Magnus... *Trying so hard to keep from snickering* Kelly has the same problem every month...

Crosswise: *mystified and quizzical look* Kelly has internal bleeding every month?

X-Brawn: It's got something to do with stuff called hormones....

Crosswise: 0_o

Kriti: *doing floor time as she laughs herself silly*

Crosswise: *scowls as Midnight Express stirs* //Sideburn, come get your girlfriend now.//

Sideburn: *hurrying! Will grab Kriti and carry her out of the med ward*

Crosswise: *has a quick communication with Optimus*

Optimus: //X-Brawn?//

X-Brawn: //Yeah?//

Optimus: //Crosswise tells me that you know what's wrong with Ultra Magnus, but that it's not damage.//

X-Brawn: //Yep... It's a monthly hormone-related thing... Kelly calls it her 'Ladies Days'...// *Kelly would probably want to KILL him for revealing that*

Optimus: //Do you know how to care for it?//

X-Brawn: *explains what works to lessen the pain*

Optimus: //Alright. But what about the bleeding?//

X-Brawn: //There're things called sanitary napkins to absorb the stuff that comes out...//

Optimus: //Do you know where to buy them?//

X-Brawn: *names off a few stores that he knows Kelly gets the items in question at*

Optimus: //Alright. Thank you, X-Brawn. How did the recovery mission go?//

X-Brawn: //We got everything that wasn't part of the tracks.//

Optimus: //... Prowl isn't answering his com...//

X-Brawn: *Quieter* //He got attacked by someone... His vox was crushed... There weren't any energy signatures in the area besides his, Sideburn's and mine...//

Optimus: //What's his condition?//

X-Brawn: *relays what he can see* //Crosswise is workin' on him now....//

Optimus: //Did he see his assailant?//

X-Brawn: //Yeah... And it's someone he knows...//

Optimus: //... Don't tell me we've got more people breaking the quarantine.//

X-Brawn: //I don't think she's one of ours... Unless we've got femmes with pointy enough teeth to tear through armor the way Prowl's injury looks...//

Optimus: //Now I'm confused. Who is this person, X-Brawn?//

X-Brawn: //Prowl's old sweetheart... She didn't have a name last I knew...//

Optimus: //Prowl's old sweetheart? I've never heard any of you talk about this.//

X-Brawn: //It was before Sideburn came online...//

Optimus: //Wasn't Prowl still in Midrange Academy when Sideburn came online?//

X-Brawn: //Sounds about right...//

Optimus: //So we're talking a long time ago.//

X-Brawn: //Almost long enough for me to not be able to tease Prowl about it... Add almost half a vorn to Sideburn's age, and that'd be around the time that Prowl was dating the femme...//

Optimus: //That would have them both in Junior Academy.//

X-Brawn: //Yep...// *Will send Optimus the image of Prowl and the white and pale blue femme* //She didn't have a name yet...//

Optimus: //And this is the bot who attacked him?//

X-Brawn: //According to Prowl, yep...//

Optimus: //I see. Is there anything else you... Great Cybertron!//

X-Brawn: //Optimus?//

Crosswise: *looks up as he hears T-AI worriedly also trying to contact the Prime*

T-AI: *is now also calling for Liedherz to come back*

X-Brawn: *Trying again to get in touch with Optimus*

T-AI: *getting frantic!*

X-Brawn: I'm going to look for him. I'll see if Sharpshot and Showtime can look too. *Moves to head out of the med ward*

Railspike: *shout of surprise behind him* What the...!!!

X-Brawn: *Turns*

Liedherz: *arm looped through Optimus' as he holds his transformed brother closely and protectively, is dripping and scarred in a few places, and her ears are flat against her head*

Crosswise: *triggers the waking protocol on Prowl and hurries toward the Prime and the shadowbot*

X-Brawn: *hurrying over*

Ultra Magnus: *quite freaked out now*

Prowl: *moving to sit up*

Optimus: I'm alright. See to Liedherz.

Liedherz: Don't touch me.

X-Brawn: *Raised brow ridge*

Optimus: *goes to gently tuck his brother into her bed and cover her up* Prowl, we ran into the female who damaged you. She had a message for me.

Crosswise: *looks at the Prime's grill as he straightens up, and then reaches to touch the dents on it and to remove a bit of black fur. It looks like the 'ran into' isn't a figure of speech*

Prowl: *Slight static, re-calibrating his vox for a few moments before he tries speaking again* Sir?

Optimus: *looks over toward him quizzically*

Prowl: *quieter* She wasn't violent when I knew her last...

Optimus: She's a Predacon, Prowl. *says this gently*

Prowl: *Cycles air and lets it out in a slow sigh*

Optimus: *looks down at deeply sleeping brother, his expression absent and pensive*

Liedherz: *flashes softly with cobalt light, and then has no damage at all*

X-Brawn: *Startled blurt*

Crosswise: What... how did you do that?

Liedherz: *shrugs* It vas a vish. *ears back again* But I'm not the vone to be asking questions of.

X-Brawn: *puzzled and a bit brain-broken now*

Prowl: Optimus... She said she had a message for you... What was it, if I may ask?

Optimus: *looks up as though waking from thought* I didn't get to hear it. Liedherz came from the shadows and kicked her off me.

Prowl: ... I see...

Liedherz: Can I go now?

Optimus: *stern look* No.

Liedherz: *ears back* I vill not give avay your silly base. I vant to go home.

X-Brawn: *puzzling this whole situation over in his head, wonders if he should step in or not*

Optimus: I want to ask you more questions.

Liedherz: I vas born able to do it, it started happening after I vas chewed on by a shadow monster, no, no, no, und ja.

Optimus: ... 0_o

Prowl: .... *Raised brow ridge*

Liedherz: *slips into X-Brawn's shadow and vanishes*

X-Brawn: *Acks*

Optimus: ... The answers only brought up more questions.

Prowl: *small nod* ... *looks around* Is it just me, or does it seem a bit too quiet?

Optimus: *looks up* What do you mean?

Prowl: Where are Sideburn and Kriti? Usually, by this time, they're raising a ruckus in the hallway...

Optimus: *looks at his chrono* 'Mythbusters' is on the television.

Prowl: ... Oh... *Yes, he's heard Sideburn talking about the show, but he never really paid much attention to when it was on....*

X-Brawn: *Soft 'heh', will gently patpat his younger brother's shoulder*

Optimus: *weary sigh* Dismissed, Brothers. Get some rest.

X-Brawn: *nods and moves to head out, intending to pick Kelly up from work*

Prowl: Yessir. *Will head for his quarters*

Optimus: *looks over at Midnight Express and then down at his transformed brother before he settles on the floor by her cubical to guard her. Wishes he were back in the nice warm firehouse*

Week later

Wedge: So Midnight Express is back on the job, and REV wants to be. We haven't heard anything more about that creepy cat lady... hand me that next load of bricks, Heavy Load.

Heavy Load: *hands* I think we'd get this done faster if you didn't sign. CC's not looking anyway.

Wedge: Oh yeah. ^_^;; And we do have to get this done before those clouds dump that snow.

Eclipse: *From over by one of the heaps of snow* Other than the dirt, this stuff's all frozen water... *has a sample in her hands, will see how much it can compress before it can't be compressed anymore*

Mirage: *talking snow drift!* Yeah, it's cold. *remembering when Skids first came, and the snow up in the mountains that day*

Eclipse: *Startles, and loses her snowball!* Eeep!

snowball: *going to pay one of the Build Team a visit, kthx*

High Tower: *sputters as his watching of Comet Chaser spinning out on a snowpile is interrupted by snowball* Yuck!

Wedge and Heavy Load: *laughing*

Eclipse: *having a spazz-fit at the moment*

Rapid Run: *suddenly cuts across all Autobot channels* //Bot down! Code RED!// *transmits coordinates*

Mirage: *appears and roars that way*

Eclipse: Eeep! *Going! Or trying to, at least!* *is a bit stuck*

Site of the emergency

Midnight Express: *working with all his basic first aid training to try and keep Railspike online* Just hold on. Help will be coming soon. Can you hear me, Railspike?

Railspike: *face screwed up with pain* Cut... trigger... bond cut. Save... save Star... save...

Midnight Express: *hands busy in the gaping ruin of his team leader's chest* You don't want to do that. You're going to be alright!

Railspike: *winces and makes a small sound, his head rolling to one side as he loses consciousness*

Rapid Run: *trying to keep his cool, because someone has to. He's got no idea what or who could have attacked Railspike and done that much damage* Jes' hang in there, old timer... *Keeping an optic on the area, just in case*

Midnight Express: *keeping up the reassuring but shaky patter as he continues to try and keep that fading spark from going out* You're going to be alright. You're going to be fine.

Crosswise: *calling over comms for a space bridge*

X-Brawn: *arriving on the scene, pulled a Tarzan to get to the coordinates quickly* *Boggles a bit when he sees how badly Railspike is hurt, will set to work to help Midnight Express keep the older mech online* Didja see what got him?

Midnight Express: *quietly, as he gladly moves over for the smaller and more repair abled mech* It was a cat. An enormous black cat.

X-Brawn: *as he works* ... Like Predacon-enormous?

Midnight Express: No. Smaller than that. *startles and lifts his gaze as Prowl stops by them, and then watches with bewilderment as the police bot transforms and roars away*

X-Brawn: *continues to work, did notice Prowl's odd behavior* I get the feelin' Prowl knows who it was...

Midnight Express: *starts to reply, only to give a soft cry of dismay when he sees how faint Railspike's spark is getting* Oh no. Please.

X-Brawn: //Crosswise, hustle!// *is halfway tempted to try jumpstarting Railspike*

Liedherz: *suddenly steps out of Rapid Run's shadow* Crossvise is othervise occupied.

REV: *comes from the same shadow and scoots over to stand protectively at a point opposite Rapid Run's*

Midnight Express: *gasp and wide-eyed look for the black and silver femmebot*

X-Brawn: *Biting back a curse*

Rapid Run: *attention going to Liedherz, small frown as he shifts his grip on his weapon*

Liedherz: *sets down a kit and pulls out a spark booster, then sets to work in Railspike's chest, one silver wing gently nudging X-Brawn out of the way*

X-Brawn: *a bit surprised, but finds himself moving out of the black and silver femme's way*

REV: *sees Rapid Run's look* *quietly* She's on our side, Rapid Run.

Liedherz: *soft snort, but her hands never stop their quick movement, even when her holoform appears and sets to work holding something down for her*

Rapid Run: *small nod, will focus on keeping the area secure, since doing so is keeping his processor off of worrying, for now*

Elsewhere

Prowl: *Silent as he searches the area for the panther-femme* *Is starting to wonder if he really did do the right thing by staying faithful to her, even after all this time. Is also wondering what motivated her to attack Railspike*

alarm: *suddenly shrills out of a power plant as he speeds down a lonely stretch of street*

Prowl: *Drifts around a turn and heads for the power plant*

workers: *filing out of it, sounds of muted panic reach him even above the sound of his engine*

buses: *whisking the people away as soon as they're filled*

Prowl: *Transforms once he arrives at the plant, will help evacuate the workers*

foreman: *comes out last* I'm sure I saw something in there. Some kind of animal!

emergency worker: *herds him onto the bus too* We don't have time to worry about an animal. That core's going to go critical.

Prowl: *Double-checks that there are no more humans inside before he enters the building*

plant: *darkish, lit eerily by the red emergency lights*

Prowl: *moves towards the core in the hopes of getting it safely shut down*

black femme: *steps out to block his way, her golden optics fierce in an exquisitely sculpted and totally emotionless face. Metallic markings like fangs adorn her cheeks, and flared wings make her seem much larger than her actual petite size* Get back! Come no further!

Prowl: *Calmly* Why did you attack Railspike?

black femme: *hisses and bares her teeth* I said get back! Go!

Prowl: *narrows his optics slightly* I'm not leaving.

black femme: *low growl* You always were a fool.

Prowl: *Flatly* That may be true... But I've always been a loyal one...

black femme: *dismissively* Loyal? What is that?

Prowl: Obviously something that you don't know the meaning of. *Will try and get around her now*

femme: *strikes out faster than his optics can scan, slicing through the cable in his leg and rendering it inoperable* I know death. And soon I'll finally know it first hand.

Prowl: *Going to be stubborn* It doesn't have to be like this... *yes, he's in pain, but if there's even the slightest chance he can save her, he will do his best*

femme: Go back to your friends. The femme you once knew is dead. *turning away to go deeper inside*

Prowl: *Grits his dentae and moves to follow her* I don't believe that for a minute.

femme: *whirls and lashes out again, this time crippling his other leg* She died the day her creators came to retrieve her. There's nothing left of her.

Prowl: *even though he's down, he's still got a lot of fight left in him* I. Don't. Believe. That. *Optics searching her face even as he tries to reach her*

femme: *turns away, but not before he sees a flash of feeling in those lifeless optics*

Prowl: *Quietly* I never stopped loving you...

femme: *stops, wings shrinking close to her body defensively*

Prowl: *Moving to push himself up to a sitting position* I wanted to get you more than just the doll as a courting gift...

femme: *quietly* I was never meant to be courted. I'm only a tool.

Prowl: *Softly* I don't believe that either.

femme: *looks over his head* Get him out of here before it's too late.

Crosswise: *muffled curse, and then puts his arms around Prowl from behind to lift him*

Prowl: *Will try and get to the femme again!* At least tell me your name!

femme: *without turning or stopping* Nightwish...

Crosswise: *pokes him on the neck to subdue him* Come on, Prowl, there's no time!

Prowl: *protesting both the disabling of his motor controls and Nightwish's going into the core!*

Crosswise: *drags him out of the plant as quickly as he can, and then yelps and nearly jumps out of his shell as strong hands grab both him and Prowl and rapidly carry them further away* What?! Optimus??

Optimus: *grimly silent as he runs*

Prowl: *Still protesting, and getting a bit frantic* Nightwish is still in there!!!

Optimus: We can't save her, Prowl. I'm sorry. *and then he hits the ditch just as the plant lights up behind them*

Crosswise: *grunts as he's squashed into the icy water*

Prowl: *Shouts are lost to the explosion, but he's managed to short out his vox*

Optimus: *sits up on his knees and looks back* ...The building's still standing. She must have manually triggered the blast doors.

Crosswise: *snorting water out of his intakes* 0_o

Prowl: *ducking his head and shuttering his optics*

Optimus: *and then he starts and leaps to his feet* By the Matrix!

Crosswise: *sputter!* What? It can't be...

Prowl: *Looks up*

faintly glowing form: *drifts from the building and comes to stand in front of the three mechs, the memory of golden optics looking at them curiously*

Prowl: *Statics as he tries to say Nightwish's name* *Will reach for the glowing form*

freespark: *looks at him quizzically, and then grimaces with pain. As they watch the form contracts and seems to solidify, and suddenly in the place of the frail ghost there's a very live spark hovering in the air and singing a soft song of confusion and pain*

Crosswise: *tries to catch it, his optics whitish with shock and stress*

spark: *wants none of that!*

Prowl: *Getting a bit frantic, more static!*

Optimus: Crosswise, stop. Let her come to Prowl.

Crosswise: What? *stops and looks over his shoulder*

Prowl: *Trying to get closer to the spark, staticky clicks as he reaches for it*

spark: *comes right to him once she knows she's not being pursued, her song changing to contentment*

Crosswise: But how is that possible? Sparks can't exist away from their bodies and be that healthy. And she was dead!

Prowl: *more staticky clicks as he holds the spark close*

Optimus: *puts a slightly shaky hand on Crosswise's shoulder* *quietly* Return to base, Crosswise. *stoops to gently scoop Prowl up*

Prowl: *Startles*

Optimus: Easy, Prowl. Let's get you home.

Prowl: *Small nod* *Will protect the spark*

Optimus: *carries them out of the ditch and through the portal of the space bridge*

((Co-written with random_xtras))