While they waited for the group to come back. They wondered outside. It was something they did together. When Diesel needed to stretch his legs, they would always find a secluded spot and take a hike. There wasn't much of that outside the base. It was mostly just open dirt and patches of grass here and there. Mounds around where the range was set up. And sand, lots and lots of sand. Something any military member is used too. Autobots as well.

"You could of gone." She whispered to him. His servos were behind his back as he walked, he helms moved to look at her small form.

"No, I can't leave you." His tone was serious and authoritative. She knew from that tone, that there would be no arguing. They continued walking, the wind blowing lightly causing the grass to sway back and forth. Every once and while, they would spot a butterfly. Well it was nice and calm by these two, with N.E.S.T. and the Autobots, it was a different story.

Fire was blazing through buildings. Cars were flipped, crushed or blowing up. Casualties lay burning where they sat or flew. Lennox noticed as he walked past the flames coming from a car, inside was the melting face of a baby doll, they eyes had rolled out of its head, its clothes turning black, turning into ashes. Who was holding that baby doll had stopped screaming while ago. It brought tears to Lennox's eyes. He thought about his little girl at home and if something like this happened to her. He wouldn't know what to do. Gun shots rang out, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Sir, get down!" A soldier near by yelled to him. They took cover behind a smoldering vehicle, the flames dying down. They were now another block up, where the decepticons already hit. Clashing of metal and grinding gears were heard around the soldiers.

"MEGATRON!" Primes deep baritone voice was heard in the distance. It wasn't long before the two leaders came fighting into view. Swords clashing together. Megatron was pushing Optimus with their swords. Their fight continued on slamming into buildings as they went. Optimus looked out for people below, not wanting to do more damage than already down.

"Your so weak, Optimus. Your letting the little fleshies get to you." Megatron took a chance, pulling his sword away and instead with his fist, he punched Optimus square in the jaw.

Soundwave had been the decoy to get the team out into the city. Then they were ambushed. Optimus stubbled back, attempting to regain balance. Lennox and a few others ran towards him. They began to shoot at Megatron, to give Optimus the upper hand. Optimus took quickly recovered and ran at Megatron, yelling at the soldiers to get out of the way. Before Megatron could swing his hand down, Optimus threw himself into Megatron. The two rolled back a few yards, continuing to fight. The soldiers continued to get people out of the city, finding any survivors. There weren't many.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were battling Barricade and another con. Their faces were contorted in anger and determinations. Using his twin blades Sunstreaker took a few stabs at Barricade. Barricade was able to block them with ease. A flicker of red flashed in Sunstreaker's optics as he growled, plunging his blade into Barricades shoulder. The con cried out in pain but wouldn't go down. He brought out his cannon and took a few close shots. Sunstreaker pulled his blade back and ducked out of the way just inches from the blasts. When he came back up there was a cannon in his face. Sunstreaker froze, staring into the beady red eyes.

"Your distracted, Sunstreaker." Barricade spat out, energon dripping from his shoulder wound. The two giants circled each other.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sunstreaker shouted back.

"There is someone your thinking about, isn't there?" Barricade gave an evil smirk. Sunstreaker didn't answer, instead took a chance to plunge his dagger into the cons throat. Barricade was able to dodge quick and swing around and kick the golden twin in the side.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You know what will happen." Sunstreaker stayed down, knowing exactly what the con was talking about.

"And don't forget it." Barricade began to walk away, grinning to himself.

"She wasn't part of the deal." Sunstreaker called out, he stood back up and saw the con stop in his tracks.

"Oh well. The plan doesn't change." Barricade growled out before transforming into Saleen S281E police car. The lights on top began to light up.

"Decepticons retreat." Megatron called out, then transformed and flew off.

"Sunny! You okay?" Sideswipe ask as he came to his brothers side, helping off the ground.

"Don't call me that! I'm fine!" Sunstreaker yelled. Sides put his hands up in defense. Quickly getting over it, they ran over to the other bots and humans. Knowing this wasn't a random fight. They came for him and they were about to get what they wanted.

"What was the point of that? They just going to cause destruction now. What was their reason this time?" Lennox shouted throwing his Kevlar at the ground, while they waited for the jets to get to them.

"I do not know." Optimus replied. None of them knew except for one. That one wasn't going to say anything. There was more at stake right now and no one was going to know about it.

"Do you think it was just a distraction? What about base?" Ironhide suggested.

"Base is fine, nothing happened there." Lennox answered.

"But you could be right about the distraction." Epps said bringing a finger up to his chin thinking. They all thought about what just happened. Thousands dead, for what? They didn't know the answer.

As soon as they landed back at base, Sunstreaker left to his room. Nichole, who was standing near the entrance of the hanger, watched him storm past. He didn't even look to see where he was going, nor did he look at her. It made her wonder what happened, he always took a glance at her. She shrugged it off, it was none of her business, nor did she care.

"How was battle?" Diesel asked Ironhide and Jazz after they transformed from driving out of the plane.

"It was strange." Ironhide answered, his face showing confusion. Diesel looked at him confused as well.

"Strange? What did the decepticreeps want?" Diesel asked crossing his arms.

"No one knows. We came, we fought, they retreated." Jazz explained.

"That is odd." Diesel put a digit on his chin, optics dimming as he thought. Diesel had an idea, so did Nichole, but they had no plans on saying anything.

There was only one person or bot that knew what the reason was for today and he wasn't about to say anything. No one will ever know the real reason, if he could help it. Sunstreaker paced throughout his and his brothers room. Not to sure what to take from today, all he knew was he needed to be more careful. He had bots and people to protect, though they would never know it or understand it. No one liked him anyway. They probably would be better off without him anyway.

"Stop thinking that." His twin stated walking into the room. Sunstreaker scoffed and turned away.

"We need you, I need you." Sideswipe looked away, a frown showing on his face.

"You don't get it!" Sunstreaker shouted over his shoulder.

"Well help me to get it!" Sideswipe yelled back.

"Just forget it." His twin scoffed and walked out of the room.

"What is going on with him?" Sideswipe said to himself.

Everyone was still hanging out in the hanger, all going over ideas of what happened earlier that day. Bouncing ideas off each other.

"Maybe they are just bored." Epps suggested.

"I highly doubt that." Lennox countered. They continued to babble, no one understood it, and they probably were never going to. Nichole and Diesel stood off to the side, watching. There wasn't much for the two to do around base and Nichole was getting restless. She wasn't used to having nothing to do. She was always busy, working on Diesel or her weapon, practicing on the range, or work around the motor pool.

"I need to do something." She whispered to Diesel.

"Like what? You're not allowed to do anything." Diesel raised a brow at her.

"I need to shoot something." She said looking around.

"You know you can't do that." She looked up at him and gave a huff.

"Doesn't stop me from wanting too. I don't understand why I can't." She continued to complain.

"Probably because your trigger happy. I may have not been to your meetings with your therapist, but I have a pretty good idea that's why."

"I never shot anyone that I wasn't supposed too." She argued. He ran his servo down his face.

"No but you have done warning shots at people who have pissed you off."

"That was ONE time." She raised her voice at him. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"And the kid deserved it." She crossed her arms. Diesel couldn't stop himself and started laughing out loud. Nichole tried to keep a straight face but ended up laughing along.

"What's so funny?" Lennox walked over to the two. Nichole stopped laughing and her face went straight. Diesel tried to slow down his laughing by covering his mouth.

"Nothing." She said.

"Oh, come on. I've never seen you laugh. So, it must be funny." Lennox tried to get her to talk. It was good to see her coming out a little. Even if it was Diesel who had to do it. Diesel nudged her with his pede. She gave him a glare.

"Go on tell em. It's not like they can't find out about it." He nudged her again. Lennox couldn't hold the smile off his face watching the two interact. She gave a groan of annoyance but turned to Lennox and let him in on the story. What Diesel said was true, anyone could find out about what she did. She had to start going to therapy because of it.

"Alright, so about three or so years ago, we had a few new recruits joining the platoon. Whatever right. Usually its no big deal. Well this one guy thought he was a hot shot. I was a corporal at the time and I told this kid to knock it off. He was saying he heard how scary I was and didn't believe it. One of my guys, who had known me for a while, even told him to knock it off. Well the kid didn't stop. So, I shot the ground near his feet with my pistol. Let's just say the kid never messed with me again." She ended her story with a smirk on her face.

"I could definitely see you doing that." Lennox said. "Its good to see you have some fun." He added before walking off to the others.

Days turned into weeks and they had yet to have any contact with the Decepticons again. There were still no ideas of why that happened that day. Nichole was now cleared to start working out again and doing more heavy work. She decided to ask Lennox if she could help around base. She had already detailed Diesel down his struts to his engine bay. She needed more things to do. Lucky for her, Lennox allowed her to help. He wanted her to help do work on the bots, but she still resented working with them. It was going to take a lot to get her to help with the bots. They were having a hard time gaining her trust. They were still working on that part. Diesel is the only one who has it and it doesn't look like it is going to change anytime soon.

"108!" She screamed in her sleep she awoke panting, grabbing her chest. Whispering '108' to herself.

"Nichole?" Diesel said in his sleepy state.

"Nichole are you alright?"

"108!" She repeated to him.

"108 What?" he asked even thought he already knew the answer.

"You know!" She snapped staring at his monitor in his truck.

"They are at 108 now." She whispered looking away out the window now.

"How do you know?"

"I read another missing kid article." She was so quiet, he barely heard her.

"What have I told you about reading them?"

"I know...I know. I can't help it."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore. Your safe with me now." He said trying to calm her down.

"But no other kids are. I was lucky and got away. I was lucky they only used me at first." She wanted to scream, but it was the middle of the night.

"I helped them and payback for it are these nightmares. These terrors." She cried into the palms of her hands.

"You had no other choice." He wished there was more he could do to help her. but no one can take the memory or the scars away.

"I should of tried harder. Maybe more of those kids would be alive."

"When did the nightmares start again?" He wondered. He knew she had nightmares before, but they had stopped for a few years. She thought it was because she was doing something right with her life for once.

"After I thought I lost you." She struggled to get the words out. She shifted in her seat, moving her legs underneath her.

"I'm sorry. If there was a way I could of told you I was alive."

"You shouldn't have had to! They knew you were alive. They want information, but that can't even tell me something this important. Its their fault. It will always be their fault. They couldn't even help you. They are incompetent. I can still hear you screaming for them to come help. For an answer." The tears started up again. The memories from the battle seeping back into her mind. Images of the sand blowing up around her as the bombs landed, fire blinding her eyesight. Diesels voice going hoarse from screaming her name and trying to call the Autobots. She remembers laying near his head, hearing Primes voice telling him they won't get there in time. Then static was heard through the other end. Static, just static.

"I know." He whispered so low, so quiet, she wasn't sure she really heard him.

"But I'm still here. that's all that matters. We are back together again. You have a future again." His voice raised, putting some enthusiasm in there. She shook her head in disbelief. She opened his door and headed out, not sure where she was going. She just needed to get away, get some fresh air.

"Nichole." He shouted to her as he transformed, then walked after her. she walked to the open doors of the hanger. Soldiers stood by on guard. Some of the Autobots where out on a midnight mission with a lead. She stopped and leaned against the hanger door waiting for nothing. Looking out at nothing. Letting her mind get the best of her.

Sunstreaker was out on the mission, along with Sideswipe. They didn't find anything while being out. Though, Sunstreaker already knew they wouldn't find anything. While on the drive back, his spark started to feel distressed. He gave a low groan.

"What's wrong, Sunny?" Sideswipe asked also feeling a little distressed.

"I don't know. Somethings wrong, I just don't know what." He groaned again, the pull getting stronger.

"Is it Nichole?" Sides grumbled. He was tired of it always being about the human femme.

"I sure hope not, but I'm probably wrong. Primus what's wrong with her now." Sides didn't answer him. They drove the rest of the way in silence. The pull continuing tell they reached base. As they drove up to base, Sunstreaker saw Nichole leaning against the open hanger door. That's when his spark stopped pulling. He could see the distressed look on her face. More so in her eyes, she kept a straight look on her face, eyeing the bots pulling into the hanger.

Sunstreaker transformed as he rolled in. He stopped a few feet into the hanger, his back to Nichole. His spark was telling him to turn around and find out what was wrong, but he wasn't sure if he should. They had pretty much stayed away from each other the last few weeks. Except for running into each other now and then. If he was leaving the medical bay after having Ratchet heal up an injury, she would happen to be walking in at the time and he would almost step on her. If she was walking through the hanger after helping with some jobs and he was rolling in from patrol. They couldn't stay out of each other's way and they were both getting tired of it. Though now, he wasn't sure what to do. His spark wanted him to talk to her. It hurt trying to stay away from her, trying not to talk to her. He looked over his shoulder to her. Her back was to him. She was leaning against the hanger door, looking out into the night. The light from inside casted her shadow a few feet out. Her long brown hair was tangled up from a restless night of sleep. The sweatpants she wore hung low on her hips. Then there was a cough, taking him out of his daze.

He shook his helm and looked at who gave the forced cough. Diesel was leaning against the wall, watching Sunstreaker look over his charge. Diesel pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the young bot.

"The pull is strong isn't it?" The older bot asked. Sunstreaker looked at him in confusion. Trying to act like he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Don't hide it. I can see the way you look at her. The way you act around her."

"I don't know what I feel." Sunstreaker gave the truth. He really had no idea what he was feeling.

"She feels it too. She doesn't understand it either. It also doesn't affect her as much as it does you. Just be careful. She's broken enough. She doesn't need a strong headed mech like yourself, crushing her even further down the wrong path." And with that he left the golden bot to his thoughts. Diesel walked back to the wall next to Nichole. Nichole looked at him in question of what he just did. He just shrugged his shoulders at her, while looking over at Sunstreaker.