#spark and echo

[nightbynightfly]

An Album a Day 2024: Day 355

Dec. 20, 2024

Mark Lettieri - Spark and Echo (2016)

Jazz fusion, Instrumental

[blackseafoam]

The OG rebel ✨

(Besides Padme ofc)

[singsofecho]

[bird-in-the-space]

Bayverse Version (Part 11)

While escaping through the tunnels, you cross paths with Emily. In a dire situation, she encourages you to attempt transformation.

Warnings: some frights, you getting shot at, ramming into things, and getting chased on the road.

-----------------------------------------------

Pushing the pedals, Emily rides on her bicycle to a familiar scrapyard. It was one of the local dumps where people discarded all sorts of items, but to her family, it was a treasure trove of spare parts. They often found what they needed there, especially since they were passionate about being eco-friendly. Besides, ordering new parts online was beginning to get costly these days. 

This scrapyard was also a place where she and you had often wandered as children, searching for parts and other hidden treasures.

Emily parked her bicycle and made sure it was locked before pulling out the list her father had left her. She skimmed through it before beginning her search. She checked the usual spots for the easier parts to find before moving on to the more difficult ones.

While walking and looking around, she wrapped her hand around her necklace, feeling the Allspark fragment against her fingers. 

She still didn't know why it appeared in her jewelry box like magic. But since the phone lines were down, she could not do anything but hold on to it until she could contact Lennox or your dad. 

She knew it was risky because of the Decepticons. They would definitely come after her if they knew she had a piece of the Allspark. However, for that same reason, she could not let it stay at her house. 

Oddly enough, she felt comfort in having it with her again. 

The Allspark in her necklace suddenly began vibrating. She looked at it, confused. Holding it up, she watched it vibrate. When she moved, it stopped. Turning back, it started vibrating again, as if sensing something.

She looked toward the way and saw it vibrating toward the city’s old tunnel system. Was something there? 

The hatch that led there was not an odd sight. Some people stored the best pieces in the old tunnel below the scrapyard. 

She walked closer and felt the Allspark fragment vibrate even strongly. She then glanced at the hatch. 

It was not recommended to go into the tunnels below, but it seems there was something down there. And despite better judgment and common sense, she was getting terribly curious. 

Emily glanced around her, seeing no one before approaching the hatch. It wouldn’t hurt to take a quick look and find out what got her Allspark fragment so active. 

After opening the hatch and climbing down the ladder, Emily stood inside the tunnel, which was filled with boxes and various items hidden from the surface. She covered her nose as dust filled the air and coated everything around her.

She took a moment to look around before checking her necklace. It began vibrating, pulling her toward an intersection in the tunnel. She glanced ahead before cautiously making her way forward.

As she reached the intersection, the Allspark fragment in her necklace began to emit a soft glow.

She became cautious because the last time it started glowing was when that Decepticon attacked you and her on that bridge. Which means, there had to be a transformer down here? 

She suddenly heard sounds—footsteps. Turning toward the tunnel on the right, she saw a large shadow looming right above her.

She shrieked in fright when she realized it was a transformer.

You shrieked when she shrieked, jolting in surprise. You had been focused on watching your back and hadn’t noticed her standing there.

“(Name)?!” Emily exclaimed in confusion when she realized it was you.

“Em!” you replied.

“What—what are you doing here?!” you asked, equally shocked.

You then frowned when you saw a familiar necklace around her neck.  “And why do you have your necklace? Didn’t you give it to Lennox and the NEST?” you asked. 

“I did, but then I found it inside my jewelry box after these weeks. It just appeared there like from thin air. I tried to call Lennox and your dad, but there’s something wrong with the phone lines,” Emily explained. 

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the Autobots?” she asked. 

“I was, but then I got kidnapped,” you replied.

Emily’s eyes widened. “You got kidnapped? By whom?” she asked. 

“Remember the Decepticons Lennox and dad spoke about?��� you asked. 

“Yeah?” Emily nodded. 

“Well, they learned about me and my ability to locate pure energon. So, they kidnapped me, put a worm into my brain, and now they’re trying to brainwash me into thinking like a Decepticon,” you explained. 

“Oh, shit,” Emily said. 

“I tried calling the bots and NEST, but they’re somehow jamming the signal,” you added. 

“Well, you should be able to call them if you get outside the jammer’s range. I know a route through these tunnels that takes you to the docks. We could try calling there,” Emily said.

“Come on, I'll show you the way,” she added, and you followed her through the tunnels, unaware of the presence following you.

After switching tunnels and moving some distance, you came across another tunnel entrance. You looked around the docks, seeing the sea and the area clear of people. It was good for you because you didn’t have to worry about being seen by other humans.

“Okay, try calling the NEST and the bots,” Emily said. 

You turned on the comlink. “Hello! (Name) to NEST! Does anyone hear me?” you asked. 

“We got a signal!” an operative said at the NEST HQ. Your voice was coming through the comlink in static. 

“He…lo!” your voice echoed. 

Your dad took the radio. “(Name), can you hear me?” your dad responded. “Where are you?” he asked. 

“Dad! Hello?” you said when you heard your dad’s voice. However, you couldn’t make out what he was saying as there was too much static. 

“I can’t hear what you are saying!” you said, but his voice did not become more coherent. 

“Shit! The voice gets through but I can’t make out what they’re saying. We have to get farther,” you uttered. 

“Uhm. (Name)?” Emily said as she looked at something in the tunnels. Her eyes widened in fear, and her posture tensed. 

You then heard a familiar growl. Looking into the tunnels, you saw the murder robot panther appear from the shadows, growling menacingly as it approached you. 

“Uhm… good kitty,” Emily backed away with fear in her voice. 

You then saw the panther aim at you. 

“Shit!” you grabbed Emily and jumped over the entrance wall, barely avoiding one of those stun ammunitions the murder cat shot at you.  

You ran away from the tunnel with Emily on your shoulder, but then another transformer appeared in front of you. You looked at it and recognized it as the yellow loader. You backed away.

"Where do you think you're going, whelp?" he growled.

You backed away as you and Emily looked at him fearfully.

“I’ve been waiting for a chance to pay you back for breaking my roof,” he sneered, then glanced at Emily’s neck. 

“An Allspark fragment?! Give it here!” he demanded, trying to snatch Emily. 

In the corner of your eye, you saw the murder cat pounce on the edge of the wall and aim at you with its back gun. You dodged just in time when it shot at you, the shock ammunition hitting the yellow con instead. 

The yellow con screamed in pain as he was shocked. “Stupid cat! You hit me!” he yelled as you ran past him. 

You ran as fast as you could, looking for a hiding place. 

“(Name). Behind you!” Emily yelled as she saw the metal panther run toward you. 

You glanced back and stopped just in time, causing the metal panther to miss you. It roared and lunged again, but with quick reflexes and a startled yelp, you swung your arm, slamming it hard against the nearby building. The impact sent a loud bang echoing through the air, and as the panther reeled in disorientation, you seized the opportunity to run.

You ran like hell, finding a place for you and Emily to hide. Setting her down, you activated your vision to locate the cons. Unfortunately, the yellow con seemed strong enough to withstand the stun shot, and the murder panther had also recovered. Now, they both were actively searching for you.

You glanced toward the tunnel, which was now too far from you. There was no way you could get back to it without getting spotted by the cons. 

“Shit. The tunnel’s too far from here, “ you uttered, your chest pulsing from the adrenaline and fear. 

“You could use your alt-form and escape to the roads,” Emily suggested. 

“Emily. I can’t transform. My attempts have either gotten me stuck, and I do not think I dare to do it without Ratchet,” you said. 

“Why not?” she asked. 

“I don’t know. Ratchet keeps saying that I have to focus, but whenever I try, something else happens or I get stuck, “ you explained. 

“I just… can’t get my head wrapped around it,” you shook your head nearly shamefully. 

“Maybe you should think less about getting stuck and focus more on getting on wheels and driving on the road,” Emily said. 

“Even if I tried. It wound’t work,” you said. 

“You have to try, and think it until you become a car,” she stated. 

“And how would you know?” you asked. 

“I know that you won’t get far on foot. Driving is your best chance of escape.” Emily said. 

You thought about it. Damn. She was right. You couldn’t go to the city in your robot form, but you couldn’t use your alt-form either. Why? Why couldn’t you do the one thing that could help you and Emily out of this situation?

“Listen. Don’t overthink it—just try,” Emily said.

“Remember those times at Lynxwood when you hesitated to try anything new because you were scared?” she continued. “Like when you didn’t want to try kayak surfing in the rivers because you feared we’d fall? But we did it anyway, and you ended up loving it. You even went a few more times after that.”

“Or when we went hill climbing, and I got stuck? You didn’t even think twice—you climbed up and helped me even though high places make you nervous.”

“What does that have to do with this?” you asked.

“I’m telling you because you made it through those moments by pushing past the fear. You stopped overthinking and just did it. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap, step into the unknown, to see if it’s really as bad as you think,” Emily explained. 

She paused, then added, “And yeah, transforming your entire body into a vehicle might feel weird, and I don’t completely understand it either. But right now, you need to take that leap.”

She then placed her hand on yours. 

“Come on, girl. Trust yourself. I know you are capable of many things, and now this situation calls your wheels more than anything,” she said. 

You heard the panther and the loader con getting closer.

You took a deep breath, glancing at the road—then at them. If you didn’t do this, they would brainwash you and probably do something worse to Emily. Just thinking about what they would do to her was enough to send shivers down your spine.

Taking a deep breath, you turned your focus onto your body and make it shift. The metal plates on your frame started moving—slowly, stiffly.

“Come on, I know you can do it,” Emily urged.

You gasped and flicked a glance at the approaching cons.

“Come on,” you muttered, concentrating. Your doorwings twitched. Your wheels shifted. You were holding control—but barely.

Come on. Do it. Do it!

The plating on your chest expanded. Your arms followed suit, shifting and locking into place.

“Come on. Transform!” you shouted.

And then it happened. Your entire body realigned, metal folding and twisting into different places. You focused on your alt-form—on the road beneath you—until the transformation was complete. Your headlights flickered to life, and your engine roared. You had turned into your alt-form.

Emily smiled. "Atta girl! I knew you could do it,"

You opened your door for her. “Get on! I haven’t had the chance to practise driving in this form, so this might get messy,” you said as she seated herself on the passenger seat. 

“Alright, let’s go,” she said, putting on the seat belt. 

You tried to hit the pedal, but you pressed the wrong one. You lurched backward, slamming into the wall.

Panicked, you shifted gears and moved forward, but your movements were jerky and unsteady. You hit the wall again.

Emily jolted with every rough motion.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked.

"These controls are a bit difficult," you explained.

"I thought you went to driving school," Emily remarked.

"Yeah. As a driver, not as a car!" you replied.

In your mirror, you spotted the yellow con approaching.

An idea struck—you knew how reverse worked now.

“Hold on!” you shouted.

You hit the gas in reverse at full speed.

The yellow con turned at the sound of screeching tires, but he had no time to react before you rammed into his legs. He crashed to the ground with a heavy slam.

“Whoa!” Emily exclaimed. 

“Damn you!” the con roared. 

When you saw the murder cat locking onto you, ready to shoot you, you slammed the gas, lurching forward just in time to avoid the stun shot. 

You twirled around, avoiding the other shots the murder panther sent at you. Then at full speed, you crashed through the dock gates. You drove on the open road then into the city, leaving the docks and the cons behind. 

Your wheels struggled for grip on the road, making you swerve wildly. Angry drivers blared their horns as you sped past, but you quickly regained control, steadying yourself. With your spark pounding, you floored it, determined to put as much distance between you and the cons as possible.

“Okay! I think I got it! I think I got it,” you said as you started driving like hell. 

Emily released an exhale. “That was… exciting!” she chuckled. 

You returned the chuckle. Though the circumstances were too much, you felt proud of finally being able to drive in your alt-form. 

Suddenly, flashing red and blue lights appeared in your mirror—a police car was chasing you. But something was off. It had no driver.

“I’m afraid it’s not over yet,” you muttered.

Emily glanced at the police car and groaned. “Oh, please tell me some of the Autobots are cop vehicles.”

“That one ain’t Autobot. He was with the Cons back there,” you replied. 

“How can you tell?” Emily asked.

“Because he’s got a slogan on his side that says, ‘To Punish and Enslave.’” You sped up, tires screeching. 

“What kind of Autobot would wear something like that?” you asked as you started speeding to get away from the Decepticon that was now chasing you on the road. 

[theblueblazes]

Returning to my rightful place

[spark-circuit]

Major, MAJOR spoilers for Rain World: The Watcher DLC below the cut:

MY TOUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3333333

(also does this canonically mean The Watcher, if discovered early enough by the Ancients, inspires them to create more slugcats as pets? and is therefore retroactively like the First Slugcat?)

[skelekins]

🔞💕 stone..for uh science

🔬🧪

;3 full 🔞 suggestive under cut

[nixotinix]

Okay now I have a follow up. *Slides into the room and stumbles, trying to be cool.* Heyyyyy Query and Echo. How are you lovely ladies tonight?

Query: “Is… is she okay? I think she hit her head.”

Echo: “She’s fiiiiine. I think she’s trying to be suave.”

Query: “Aaaaanyways. Provided you don’t have a concussion, I guess we could answer your question. We’re doing pretty good.”

Echo: “We were just watching a movie before you slid in here. Waiting on our fries to get here. You know how slow food delivery can be in Gotham.”

Query: “Hey, now that I think about it, how’d you find our apartment anyways?” 

[kylermalloy]

Attack on Titan is a layered, multifaceted story that deals with many, many ideas—prejudice, propaganda, power, love, truth…I could go on. But more than anything, it’s about war. Attack on Titan is a war story. In that sense, it’s no surprise at the number of scenes that utilize fight, either as a concept, action, or just the word itself. It’s a story about fighting.

Or is it?

(It is. But it’s not about the fight. I’ll get there.)

The pivotal moment of the story occurs in season 3, when our characters go from fighting a war they don’t understand to fighting a war they do. The war itself hasn’t changed, nor the world, but now they know what they’re up against. But I’m not here to talk about that pivot—I’m here to talk about the narrative choice that was made a few episodes before that, and the thematic importance of that choice.

I’m here to talk about Midnight Sun.

The choice between Armin and Erwin has long since been a topic of debate amongst AOT fans. Whether it was the right choice, how happy or unhappy it made viewers, why exactly the choice was made, and so on and so forth. I’ve always found it to be a very simple yet effective piece of storytelling—one that walks a very fine line of displaying a core story theme and honoring the characters involved.

Interestingly, Levi, who’s historically a follower and not a leader, is the one to make this very important narrative choice. It was carefully designed, too—everything he’s witnessed so far in this season has led to this moment, and this very important decision he’ll make.

Now of course, as with everything, there’s a Watsonian and a Doylist reason for this decision to bring Armin back and not Erwin. Levi’s role in the choice is primarily a Watsonian one—he was one of the closest characters to Erwin, and he was the one to see Erwin struggle in his last moments before the charge.

Levi outright tells us his thought process after he makes the choice. After Erwin had let go of his dream, his struggle, which was as much a burden to him as a drive to continue forward, Levi thought it cruel to being him back into the world just because humanity needed a devil. It’s a human decision, and Levi made it for someone he cared deeply for.

But from a Doylist perspective, there’s a thematic reason as to why Armin was chosen and not Erwin. Obviously Levi, as a character in the story, is not thinking of what Erwin’s and Armin’s respective dreams are narratively representative of. Levi, in making his choice, didn’t so much as pick Armin as he didn’t pick Erwin. He was letting Erwin go, and he wasn’t thinking about what that would do to the story.

But I am!

Levi has been witness to both Erwin’s and Armin’s dreams, and he’s smart enough to place those dreams within the context of the war they’re fighting.

He asked Erwin explicitly what he would do when his dream was fulfilled—once they got to the basement in Shiganshina and learned the truth of the world. Erwin said he didn’t know.

Conversely, when Armin talked with his friends about after the war, he spoke of the sea. Of exploration beyond the walls, of seeing the wonders he’d only been able to read about. Unlike Erwin, he knew exactly what he would do when the fighting ended.

Now, does this mean to imply Erwin would’ve been useless after reaching the basement? Of course not. Had he survived, he would have continued to lead. But thematically, his purpose in the narrative was to drive the fight forward at any cost. We see this over and over—from the first expedition outside Wall Rose to his last charge against the Beast Titan. That’s what he represents, and that’s what his dream led to.

Armin’s dream, though, extends beyond the fight. He only cares about winning the war in that it will allow him the chance to explore and experience the wonders of the world.

Choosing Armin over Erwin, thematically, represents AOT’s fundamental view on war and fighting. The drive to win is not nearly as important as hope for the future. For after the fight is over.

Armin has always found solace and hope in things other than the war that has defined his and his friends’ lives. He dreams of the ocean. He worships his friends. He lives, as he tells Zeke in the final final final season, for the small moments with them. “Maybe I was born to race Eren and Mikasa up that hill.” That would be enough for him, even without his grand dream of the sea.

I genuinely think this choice is the closest thing AOT has to a thesis statement. This story shows us a plethora of messy situations to which there is no clear-cut solution. It displays a huge range of perspectives and philosophies without telling us what is good and what is bad. (Although it does, very specifically, tell us that genocide is bad, Eren!)

This choice in Midnight Sun, though, is more than a choice between two characters for survival. It speaks to what is most valuable in a world that seems to always be trying to kill you.

What good is winning the war if you don’t have something to hope for beyond that?

In other words, there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

[hopelessfandomfreak]

how does marvel expect me to believe mobius isn’t desperately in love with loki when they have him doing shit like this??

like my man was clearly more than willing risk his life for loki, and was obviously devastated when he thought he might not make it back. the raw heartbreak on this face just doesn’t seem totally platonic to me.

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

[ichilemonwritruoo]

My wallet will not survive 2024 meme made by me thanks (please do not steal)

[davey-in-a-minivan]

finding out that st jane is the patron of forgotten people certainly is making me feel a way about jane gonzalez!!

[bird-in-the-space]

Bayverse Version (Part 17)

You work hard in your training and make great progress. You begin to feel confident in yourself, but then one rude remark from Galloway makes you think about the possibility of you becoming a dangerous Decepticon. That is put to the test when you get ambushed during your energon hunting trip.

Warnings: Ironhide being a strict trainer, Galloway being a rude and crappy person, reader having doubts and moody thoughts, some comfort, an ambush, violence, throwing things at someone, and someone dies.

-----------------------------------------------

Ever since that night talk with Optimus, you have tried to work hard on your combat training and mentally overcome your fears. 

Ironhide looked surprised but pleased with your newfound motivation and focus. Unfortunately, this didn’t mean he eased up on his training methods; he was, however, receptive when you asked if you could concentrate more on learning how to defend yourself. You thought it would be easier to learn one thing at a time, especially concerning your own well-being. Ironhide agreed to this—too bad he still made it challenging not to kiss the ground. 

However, as the days passed, you began making progress in defending yourself and found yourself kissing the ground less. You could now protect your vital areas from dangerous hits and land more safely, which you found easier. You also focused on moving more swiftly against bigger opponents. Due to your smaller size, there was no way you could match the cons with your strength, but with your size, you were much faster and swifter. 

Your progress pleased Ironhide, and when you eventually became good at being on the defensive, you shifted to being offensive, which you found much more challenging to learn. 

Your routine was usual as before, otherwise. You occasionally gave Emily a call after the NEST operators made sure communications were safe again, checking on her and making sure the Allspark fragment hadn't caused any trouble for her. She had been doing alright so far – life had gone normally as usual. She sometimes shared about things she had done with Sideswipe. The two had become rather good friends. It wasn’t surprising to you. Emily was someone who could become friends with pretty much everyone. 

As the days passed and nothing had happened in Emily’s routine, you became more at ease and focused more on passing your combat training. Being on the offensive was still a challenge for you, but with Ironhide's guidance, you learned where to find and hit sensitive spots on Cybertronians, and even how to disable some guns. 

As Ironhide was the Autobots’ weapon specialist, he thought it would be a valuable lesson for you. Personally, you had never been interested in guns, but Ironhide managed to make it interesting for you to learn a thing or two about their weapon tech. 

After a good three weeks and no signs of Decepticon activity, the bots thought it would be a good time to go on an energon hunt again. With all the previous energon posts mined empty and the pure energon taken into secure storage, it was a good time to find some more. 

With all the training sessions on your belt, you felt confident and mentally prepared. So, you agreed to go. 

The day was young, so Ironhide decided to allow you to have a day off from the training, making you only do some warm-ups in case something goes wrong during the trip. Despite you still struggling with being on offense, he deemed you ready enough to leave the safe premises of the base. You knew well enough how to defend yourself in a combat situation, and you had been taught the evacuation protocols in case of an emergency. So, with all that considered…

You should be fine.

To pass the time, you decided to spend some time with Que, learning about signal jammers and how to disable them. 

“As signal jammers are quite tricky to counter, if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t disable the opposing jammer, one clever trick is to match its frequency and signal strength,” Que explained. “It makes the jamming louder and more chaotic, which can confuse the source and make it harder to detect you—giving you a brief window for communication.”

“Okay,” you nodded.

“Curious question—what would happen if the jammer had the same signal strength but a different frequency?” you asked.

“Oh, that would just add noise and create chaos,” Que replied. “It would show up on network maps and could even cause a blackout. Our technology is far more potent than human systems, so the effects could be significant.”

“You know, how about you carry one on your person? It’s not too bad to carry one in case you need to hide yourself,” he handed you one of the jammers.

“Okay,” you said, taking it and putting it in your subspaces, or robo pockets, as you like to call them. 

“Ah, now you’ve got me fascinated with ideas of a complete blackout. You know, you seem to possess a natural curiosity. Perhaps you could be my assistant in new weapon engineering. Your human assistants are good with their small hands, but it wouldn't be too bad to have an assistant of my own size help me out,” Que suggested.

“Well, I wouldn't mind becoming an assistant to you, but I heard that most of your experiments tend to blow up,” you said with a raised brow.

“Nah, that might happen occasionally, but don’t worry about it. I have a designated area for experiments that might explode,” he grinned.

You both then heard a door bang open and the familiar sound of footsteps. An automatic frown took over your face as you recognized whose footsteps those were. 

Galloway in all of his bitchiness walked up to the platforms. 

“Greetings, Director. What can we do for you today?” Que asked politely, though his tone carried a hint of caution.

Galloway barely spared him a glance. “Save it. I don’t have time for pleasantries. Where’s Optimus?”

“He is currently on a mission and won’t return for some time,” Ratchet replied evenly. “Perhaps we can assist you in the meantime.”

Galloway scoffed. “I doubt that. I’m here because I read your reports and found out that you handed a fragment of the Allspark to a civilian. Care to explain that brilliant decision?”

Que stepped forward, calm but firm. “I believe we already explained the situation in the report. Under unique circumstances, the Allspark fragment has imprinted on Miss Walkerson, and our attempts to sever the connection between them have not been successful. Placing Miss Walkerson under Autobot protection was… our best course of action.”

“Yeah. I don’t have time for this imprint and magic bond kind of crap. Why didn’t you try harder? Aren’t you supposed to be the smart scientist?” Gallow questioned with that condescending tone of his. 

You frowned, starting to get really pissed off by his attidute. 

“Oh Fuck off…” You muttered under your breath. 

“What was that, (Last Name)?” Galloway snapped, turning to glare at you.

“Nothing. What do you think I said?” you replied, playing dumb with a raised brow.

“It sounded a lot like ‘fuck off,’” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“Really? That’s funny,” you said, your tone sharpening. “Because just a moment ago, you didn’t seem to hear a thing when Que explained why they couldn’t sever the Allspark fragment’s connection to my best friend—and why she’s under Autobot protection.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Galloway snapped.

“Yeah, I do,” you said bluntly.

Mudflap snickered in the background, only to be elbowed by Skids, who tried to stifle his own grin.

“Oh, you can laugh now,” Galloway sneered. "You might have this little superpower that helps you find energon. But I’ve read your file, (Last Name). And you know what I found?”

You narrowed your eyes, already bracing for whatever nonsense he was about to spew.

“Because I found something interesting,” he continued, voice dripping with smugness. “That Transformers born from the Allspark are hardwired to think like Decepticons, even you," he pointed at you sharply. "Which could make you violent and dangerous."

You fell silent, your expression hardening.

“The file says you pose no threat,” he said, “but I’m not convinced. One wrong move, and I’ll have you locked up. Don’t think I won’t.”

You glared at him, fists clenched at your sides.

“Director Galloway, there is no need for that,” Ratchet said, stepping forward. “(Name) has been under our surveillance for a long time and has never once acted on any Decepticon coding. That programming is long gone.”

“And even if complications were to arise,” he added, “we are fully capable of handling them.”

“She’s demonstrated exceptional self-control,” Que chimed in. “The only scenario in which the Decepticon coding could resurface is if she were under extreme emotional distress, like anger or despair.” 

You stood quietly, thinking about that.

Galloway gave a cold, humorless smile. “You can hide behind your bot buddies all you want. Maybe you’re useful for sniffing out energon, but don’t think that makes you safe.”

He pointed at you, his voice low and threatening. “I’ll be watching you. One wrong move, and you’re done. I promise you that.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the base, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

“That human is more trouble than he’s worth,” Que muttered, shaking his head. “And I noticed he’s not even using NEST’s secure communication lines. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“Don’t let his words get to you,” Ratchet said reassuringly when he looked at you. “As long as you keep your head calm, you’ll be fine.”

You nodded, but fell back into your thoughts. You tried not to let Galloway’s words sink in, but they echoed in your mind anyway.

The cons could brainwash you because of the coding. And you might activate it yourself if you end up dangerously upset. 

If that happens, would you really become something that only knows anger? 

And if you became too dangerous to handle, would the bots have to lock you up? 

Or maybe… 

… put you down? 

The atmosphere during the trip to the energon mine was rather gloomy. You were with Ratchet, as while he was a medic, he was also a capable combatant. During the duration of the trip, you could not stop thinking about the possibility of you becoming an enraged Decepticon who could cause harm. 

You don’t want to admit it, but the idea kinda stripped all the confidence you had in yourself and added a new concern that wound’t leave your mind no matter how hard you tried not to think about it. 

When you got to your destination, you followed Ratchet down the plane ramp. You took a quick look around the new place — it didn’t look much different from the previous energon locations. 

“Alright, let's go. I’ll show you the way,” Ratchet said and transformed into his alt-mode. You followed his example and followed him as he led you and the other NEST members to the unconfirmed energon deposit. 

After you got there, you went to work. You were kinda happy about it as it allowed you to have something else to think about. But after you were done, it was back to the gloomy thoughts. Using your ability has become relatively easy, so you managed to get the task done rather quickly. 

You even tried to see if you could find a vein that could lead you to a pure energon source, but nothing. They were really living up to their name of being rare as hell. 

You walked up to Ratchet after scouring the entire area for energon. There weren’t even smaller energon clusters that you could have spent time looking for. 

“Everything done?” Ratchet asked. 

“Yeah… I pretty much checked the entire place. There aren’t any more energon veins,” you replied. 

“Very well. If you can’t find any more energon, then our job is done here. We can go back to the plane, “ he stated before looking at you. “Good job,”

“Thanks…” you muttered. 

“Would you like to rest first before we proceed to the next location?” he asked. 

“No. I’m good to go, “ you shook your hand. “The more we get done today, the better.” 

“Alright… “ Ratchet looked at you with a raised brow. 

“Let’s get going then,” he transformed. 

You followed in suit and drove as you two left the mine with a couple of escorts. 

While driving on the road, you followed Ratchet quietly. The thoughts in your mind constantly spinning around the idea of you becoming a Decepticon. The things that might happen after that left you feeling even more gloomy. 

It seems your silence caught Ratchet’s attention because he spoke to you through the radio. 

“(Name). What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“Hm? “ you hummed, startled out of your thoughts by his question. 

“Uhm…Nothing. Just thinking,” You replied. 

“Are you certain?” he asked. 

“Yeah. Everything’s fine,” you answered, even though it was kinda not. 

You heard him release a sigh on the radio. 

“Alright. Pull over,” Ratchet said. 

“What?” 

“Pull over now,” he said, driving to the side of the road. Seeing no other choice, you followed him to the field. 

On the field, Ratchet transformed, and you followed in suit. The NEST vehicles stopped, and the people in them looked at you, confused by the sudden stop. 

“Take a moment break. This won’t take long,” Ratchet explained before turning toward you, “You, follow me,” he said and started walking. 

Uncertain what he wanted, you followed him, walking away from your escort to somewhere private. When you were out of their earshot, Ratchet turned toward you. 

“Now… tell me what’s wrong?” he asked. 

You were caught off guard. 

“Nothing! Everything’s fine! Really!” you tried to reassure. 

“You know, you tend to avoid eye contact and be quieter than usual when something is bothering your mind. Your EM field is also showing,” Ratchet pointed out. 

You quickly composed yourself, pulling back your EM field. The dumb thing that always goes off whenever you happen to have a static mind or something troubling your mind. You were not used to such a thing flowing out of you whenever you were lost in thought. And it was probably too late to convince Ratchet that nothing was bothering you because he pretty much sensed your depressed mood. 

You then remember Optimus’s advice on talking to someone if something was on your mind. 

But would it be stupid to talk about something you were told not to let it bother you, yet it did? 

You thought about it for a moment. 

No, not Ratchet. He was not the judgmental type. 

“Could it… be possible I turn into a Decepticon if that code thing in me activates?” you asked. 

“It's just. When Galloway brought up that Decepticon coding, I was reminded of when I was kidnapped, and that Starscream and his Cons intended to make me one of them by activating the code,” you explained. 

“And then Que mentions it could activate by itself if I become too angry, and... that,” you added. 

“And now I can’t stop thinking if I could end up activating the code myself and becoming a Decepticon,” you looked at him. 

“What would then happen if that came to pass?” you asked. 

Ratchet looked at you softly. “No. You will not turn into a Decepticon even if the code activates.” 

You looked at him, slightly confused. 

“Despite its name. The Decepticon code, in my understanding, was made in a way that any newborn Transformer would be born in a state of rage, making their first instinct to fight everything they see. The only addition being that they see Decepticons as their own, thus not fighting them,” Ratchet explained. 

“It’s like… imagine before being born, someone… convinced you that everything outside is a danger to you, thus your first thought is to fight that danger,” he mused. 

You nodded, letting him know you understood what he meant. 

“So, in sense, the Decepticon coding simply affects the individual’s behaviour. It is technically an amplifier; in this case, it amplifies anger and the need to fight,” he stated. 

“I actually managed to discover that, thanks to you,” he motioned at you. 

“If you had been an ordinary Transformer, you would have most likely awakened like the other Transformers that had been born. But I believe that your human consciousness somehow overshadowed the coding’s activation, putting it to dormancy, and allowing you to have control over your emotions, ” he continued. 

“I have been working on finding a way to remove the coding. So, if you feel unsafe with it lingering in your processors. We can work on that,” he added. 

“I think… I would feel more comfortable with that,” you nodded. 

Ratchet hummed. “However, being A Decepticon is a choice.” 

“Just like how being an Autobot is a choice. It is done out of free will. And only you can make that choice,” he said. 

“The coding might have been created by the Decepticons, but it only affects a Transformer’s behavior. It does not decide who you are.”

“But… what if I end up activating the code myself?” you questioned.

“Remember what Que said, it can only be activated in a situation where you are under extreme emotional distress,” Ratchet said. “Small moments of annoyance, frustration, or even sadness will not activate it.”

“And keeping yourself calm will help. And you are one of the most level-headed bots I’ve seen, even if you have a bad habit of keeping your troubles to yourself,” he said, making you awkwardly chuckle. 

“Trust me. I believe you will be fine,” he assured. “And even if your code were to activate, we will do everything to turn you back. We don’t leave our own when they need help the most,” he added. 

You quietly thought about it and felt comforted. “Thanks… I think I needed to hear that.” 

“Anytime,” Ratchet nodded.  

“I don’t think I ever will be a Decepticon. I don’t have the cruelty to cause harm to others,” you stated. 

Ratchet chuckled. “That’s good. In my honest opinion, you have more potential to become an Autobot.” 

You smiled, but then felt a familiar buzz in your head. 

You looked past Ratchet and saw something lurking beneath the cover of the trees. At first, it looked like a red light, but then you made out a shadowy shape that reminded you of a big cat.  It then moved, and you recognized the thing as that murderous robot cat from before. What was its name… Ravage?

“Ratchet…” you anxiously stepped back, keeping your eyes on the murder cat. 

Ratchet glanced toward the trees where you were looking. The murder cat growled and ran away after being spotted. 

Suddenly, two giant bots appeared from the woods. You recognized one of them as Long Haul, the giant, green brute. You had no idea who the other con was. 

They said something in their tongue, then charged at you and Ratchet. 

You stepped back as your spark began to pound against your chest in fear. 

“(Name), run!” Ratchet yelled before tackling the nameless con.

You initially turned around and ran, but then stopped when you felt another buzz and looked into the sky. Grindor, the military helicopter, appeared and transformed in the air. He joined Long Haul and the nameless con in their fight with Ratchet. 

“Open fire!” The NEST members started shooting when they saw what was happening. 

You watched the fight go on. Ratchet held his own against Grindor, Long Haul, and the nameless con, but he was outnumbered. The NEST members’ covering fire did little to assist him.

This made you hesitate. Ratchet was capable of fighting, but three against one was still too much. 

“What are you waiting for! Get out of here!” One of the NEST soldiers yelled at you. 

You looked back and saw the cons beating Ratchet. Panic began to fill your mind. If you left, would Ratchet die?

You thought about everything Ironhide taught you and tried to figure out what you could do to help him. Your hesitation and desire to help Ratchet struggled against each other because you were afraid of the cons, but you were also afraid of Ratchet losing his life. 

Ironhide’s words about gathering your courage to hit them back crossed your mind. Would this be it? 

Ratchet’s pained yell then snapped you back to reality. You saw Long Haul holding Ratchet down as Grindor prepared to shoot the medic. 

At that moment, you threw everything out the window. There was no time to think. You needed to help him now.

“Fuck it!” you yelled and charged at them. 

Before Grindor could shoot Ratchet, you pounced on the con’s back and pulled as hard as you could, causing him to misfire and shoot Long Haul instead. 

Long Haul yelled in pain as he was pushed back by the force of the blast. This gave Ratchet a chance to free himself and get back on his feet.

“What are you doing?!” Ratchet yelled, pushing back the nameless con. “Get away from here!” 

You didn’t hear him as you focused on hanging onto Grindor’s back. Due to his size, he couldn’t really reach out to grab you, but because of his size, you needed to hold on to whatever you could. Your weight constantly shifting behind him made him step around like a drunkard, struggling to maintain his balance.

While hanging from his back, you tried to rip out anything you could reach. These were mostly small pieces, but when you spotted wires, you grabbed onto them and pulled hard enough to break them. 

This caused Grindor to yell in pain, and electric particles to blow out from where the wires were connected. But it also caused him to fall backwards toward the trees. 

To avoid getting crushed between the giant con and the trees, you swung yourself out of the way and rolled down to the ground. Grindor crashed into the trees, emitting electrical sparks and struggling to get back up. 

You quickly got back on your feet and saw Long Haul having recovered from the blast. He looked pissed. 

“Keep moving. Don’t let them grab you!” Ratchet guided, taking Long Haul’s attention to himself, while you were left with the nameless con. 

The nameless con growled at you, making you nearly freak out. He tried to hit you, but you were quick enough to raise your guard to block his fists a few times. You then went for the offensive, managing to punch his face, but then he kicked you hard enough to send you flying backwards. 

You managed to grab onto a tree to avoid falling. When you saw how much the tree could bend, an idea popped into your mind. You quickly bent the tree to the side, and when the nameless con came close enough, you let go, causing the tree to slap the con in the face. 

The tree slap was strong enough to send the con flying backwards, giving you a chance to check on Ratchet. 

When you saw Grindor back on his feet and approaching Ratchet, you looked around, and then your eyes landed on a big rock near you. You picked it up with both your hands, then aimed at Grindor. 

“Ratchet!” you called out, then threw the rock. 

“Duck!” 

Ratchet looked your way before falling down on his knees to dodge the rock as it flew over him and hit Grindor in his face. The hit was strong enough to make energon fall from Grindor’s mouth and him fall to the ground again. 

For a moment, you felt satisfaction for managing to make the giant con kiss the ground twice. 

Unfortunately, this caused the nameless con go unnoticed by you, as he grabbed you from behind. You struggled as his arm was around your neck, swinging your legs in an attempt to lose his hold. You nearly panicked, but then remembered a trick Ironhide taught you. 

You dropped all your weight in an attempt to make your body hit the ground. Luckily, the nameless con was only a head taller than you, so your entire body weight was enough to make him lose his hold on you. When that happened, you straightened your back, wrapped your hands around his arm, and pushed your legs against his torso, locking him in place. 

“Ratchet!” you yelled, keeping the nameless con trapped. 

Ratchet looked your way. He punched Long Haul away, then ran toward you and the nameless con. 

As the nameless con couldn’t move, Ratchet used his spiral chainsaw to slice through the con’s chest. Sparks flew out of the con’s chest, and sounds of screams petruded from the con as Ratchet sliced his chainsaw through the con’s head. 

You let go and rolled out of the way as the nameless con fell dead to the ground. 

Grindor and Long Haul stopped in their tracks when they saw their comrade die, astonished that you managed to take down one of them and even the numbers. 

You quickly stood up, ready to fight with Ratchet by your side. 

They cursed in their tongue, but when more NEST soldiers showed up in jeeps, they backed away. 

“This won’t be over, whelp!” Long Haul growled. He and Grindor then disappeared into the woods, making their retreat. 

You took a deep breath and leaned on your knees after they disappeared from sight, and the danger was no more. 

“That…” Ratchet turned toward you after taking his breather. “... was the most reckless thing you could have done. You know your protocol is to evacuate in case of danger!” he raised his voice, ready to scold you. 

“I know, but…” You straightened your back and looked at him. “You were outnumbered. The chances were that you were gonna die, and then they would come after me. I don’t think I would have fled in time before they would have been done with you. It was better that I stayed and stood my ground,” 

“Ironhide once said that at some point, I need to start hitting back. And…” You took a deep breath. 

“I didn’t… want you to die because of me,” you said. 

Ratchet sighed, his gaze softening. 

“(Name). As an old bot, I'd rather see you safe and out of harm's way. Seeing you get seriously injured is the last thing I want to see. So, next time, don’t go risking your life for an old rust bucket like me,” he said. 

“But…” He placed his hand on your shoulder. “Thank you. It was brave of you,” he said with gratitude in his voice. 

A small smile graced your face. 

“Let’s return to base. I believe we have seen enough action for the day,” Ratchet stated, with you nodding in agreement. 

Without any extra cons waiting to ambush you, you and Ratchet returned to the plane that took you back to Diego Garcia. Despite the fear you felt during the confrontation, you felt a slight sense of pride for standing your ground. You don’t wish for any more confrontations with the cons because you do not know what they might try next, but you feel that you could face them and stand your ground if needed.

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An Echo

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