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❝ CHAPTER 9 ──
YOUR BRAVERY ❞
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      ━━━━━ STEPHANIE BRIEFLY SEPARATED from her brother searching the roof for an escape. She looked back at her brother watching as he ran over to one of the statues to hold onto, she followed behind him. Climbing onto the edge she walked over to her brother, dropping her gun she allowed it to dangle as she held onto the statue with her brother on the other side.

"Is it fear or courage that compels you, fleshings?" Megatron asked the two, pushing himself onto the roof.

"Sam, we're going to be okay." Stephanie said as he looked at her.

Deep down she knew there was a possibility that neither of them would make it, she was okay with that especially if it meant she would save the world. Every few seconds Sam would look down at what lies below them.

"Sam, hey." Stephanie called out, gaining her brother's attention. "Don't look down, it'll only make things worse for you." Stephanie announced, he nodded, staring back at her as she stared at him all while attempting to stay calm.

"Where do I go?" Sam asked even though it was directed towards himself.

"Just stay calm, Sammy." Stephanie said using one of the nicknames she had given him.

"Give me the All Spark and you may live to be my pet. As will the girl." Megatron said, looking over at the blonde.

Stephanie closed her eyes tightly, pressing her head against the statue, as a single tear fell down her right cheek. She could hear the panic in Sam's voice as he desperately tried to keep his grasp on the statue. Stephanie lost her footing, almost falling to her death but she was able to catch herself before it could happen.

"This is not going to end well." She spoke ever so softly.

Her eyes fell on two choppers that were coming towards them, "I'm never giving you this All Spark! And If I gave it to my sister she wouldn't give it to you either." Sam yelled at the Decepticon.

"You will never get what you came here for." Stephanie shouted looking over at Megatron.

"Oh, so unwise." He whispered to the siblings.

She watched as Megatron lifted his hand back with a chain connected to it. Throwing his hand forward the chain landing into the roof, causing an explosion to knock down the statue that Stephanie and Sam were on.

The two screamed as they plummeted towards the ground, towards their death's. Stephanie closed her eyes, time slowed down and in that moment she had accepted her fate. Before either of them could hit the ground, their backs impacted something. Stephanie opened her eyes to see the Autobot from earlier, one she hadn't met.

"I've got you, both of you!" He said looking between the two humans.

"Hold onto the Cube!" He said as a mask came over his face.

Stephanie moved closer to her brother as the hand covered both of them. The Autobot grunted moving downwards in between both the buildings. Prime continued to grunt as he tore down both sides of the buildings to get the humans to safety.

Megatron came from above slamming into Prime causing them to impact the ground. Stephanie looked over at her brother as Prime removed his hand to look at the two.

"Sam?" Prime called out as the mask removed itself. Stephanie and Sam lifted themselves up slightly to get a better look at Prime. "You and your sister risked your lives to protect the Cube." Prime said, while Stephanie placed a small smile on her lips.

"No sacrifice, no victory." Sam responded to him.

"If I cannot defeat Megatron, you must push the Cube into my chest. I will sacrifice myself to destroy it. Get behind me." Prime ordered.

Stephanie hadn't known the Autobots for long but she had already connected with them, and the thought of him sacrificing himself killed her inside. Both Sam and Stephanie climbed off of Prime, jumping onto the ground as he stood up slowly.

"It's you and me, Megatron." Prime told the Decepticon.

"No, it's just me, Prime." Megatron replied, as Sam and Stephanie ran through the rocks.

She came to a stop, her gun hitting her leg slightly as she looked at Sam. "Sam, be careful okay." Stephanie said, pulling him into a tight hug.

Sam placed the Cube on his side hugging his sister back tightly. The two pulled apart and he looked at her, "what are you going to do?" Sam asked her, fearing the answer.

"I'm going to help Prime. It's my job." She said, turning around, running to aid Prime.

"I can't lose you." He spoke, stopping her from going towards Prime. Stephanie turned back around to stare at her baby brother.

"You're not going to lose me Sam, I know what I'm doing that's what I was trained to do." She informed him, Sam sighed as he took in her words.

Stephanie turned around running towards the rocks, lifting her hands up. She placed her hands on the rocks and started climbing them. Halfway up she ducked slightly as a few made their way towards her. She could feel the dust settling on her sweaty skin as she continued to climb up the rocks until she reached the top.

She looked around watching as another Decepticon appeared in the distance. Stephanie grabbed her gun from her side, once in her hand she took off running heading into one of the buildings. Lowering her head closer to her gun she began shooting at the Decepticon, it turned back towards the building that Stephanie had been in.

The blonde dropped her gun, rolling on the ground to take cover as the Decepticon shot a missile towards her. She was blown backwards into the wall soon falling to the ground coughing. Pulling herself off the ground she reached out for her gun heading out of the building, she briefly looked down at her leg to see a shard of glass sticking out of her leg.

Blood seeped out of her pants dripping onto the concrete. She lifted her head up as well as her gun aiming it at the Decepticon and pressing down on the trigger watching as the bullets flew towards the robot. As the clip ran out she pulled out another one allowing the empty clip to fall to the ground.

Pushing the new clip in, she pulled the trigger back, and shot at the Decepticon once again. Within seconds she emptied that clip, and repeated the process all over again. As she pushed another clip into her gun Lennox slid on the concrete shooting a grenade up at the Decepticon. Stephanie lifted her gaze watching the robot fall towards the ground, Lennox stood up running away from it and ordered his team to follow him.

"Take them out!" She heard Lennox shout to the men.

Pushing aside her pain once again she rejoined her team, limping her way towards them. Holding her gun in the air she aimed it towards Megatron shooting at him as the F-22's came down firing their missiles towards the Deception.

Stephanie climbed up a set of rocks standing next to Lennox, continuing to shoot at Megatron. However, she stopped firing when she watched her brother lift the All Spark to Megatron's chest. The Decepticon fell to the ground, choking out, she took her eyes off of him looking over at Lennox.

Pulling the strap off her gun she dropped the gun to the ground and moved the strap around her thigh, tying it tightly she then proceeded to pull the piece of glass out of her leg. Lifting her head she threw the glass to the ground looking back at Lennox.

"Wanna give me a hand, Lennox?" She asked motioning towards her injured leg.

He nodded his head, jumping to the ground, turning around and grabbing a hold of Stephanie's hand helping her down. She followed behind them as they moved towards Megatron, their guns still drawn just in case.

"Hold up." Lennox called out, the team soon came to a stop behind him and Stephanie.

"You left me no choice, brother." Prime said, kneeling down.

Stephanie looked back to see the other Autobots walking up behind them. Stephanie turned her head staring back at Prime watching as he moved towards her brother. Mikaela pulled up with Bee, she exited out of the truck coming around to the other side. Ironhide moved over to Prime, handing him one of their fallen.

"Prime, we couldn't save him." Ironhide explained looking at the Autobot.

"Aw, Jazz. We lost a great comrade but gained new ones. Thank you, all of you. You honor us with your bravery." Prime said, looking around at each of the humans. Stephanie placed a smile on her face, knowing that she had done the right thing and would continue to do the right thing no matter where it led her.

"Permission to speak, sir?" Bee asked, looking over at Prime. All eyes fell onto Bee as formed words came out of his mouth.

"You speak now?" Sam asked, looking over at Stephanie.

"I wish to stay with the boy." Bee announced, Stephanie glanced over at her brother as he looked away from her towards his car.

"Yes." Sam said with a smile on his face as well.

The blonde watched as Prime kneeled down to Megatron picking up what remained off the AllSpark. Stephanie was dressed in her uniform, it had been a few days since everything had happened and in that time Stephanie had built a relationship with both Ratchet and Prime.

She climbed out of the medical car, as Ratchet had agreed to stay with her, she hadn't turned down the chance. Closing the door, she turned to look at the familiar house that she had grown up in.

"I won't be long Ratchet." She spoke looking back at the Autobot.

He flashed his lights indicating that he heard her. Turning away from the Autobot she walked down the path that led to the front door. Lifting her hand she rang the doorbell waiting for her parents to make an appearance at the door.

She could hear the movement from the other side of the door, she didn't know what to expect as she hadn't seen her parents in a few months. The door swayed open to reveal both her parents, who stood in front of her shock covering their faces.

"Stephanie!" Her mother spoke, happiness evident in her voice.

"Hi, mom. Hi, dad." She replied.

However she couldn't say anymore as her parents pulled her into a tight hug. She smiled, feeling the love from both her parents.