Smokescreen's p.o.v

I just barely managed to duck under Arcee's kick before she's at me again. I put my servos up to block but the force behind her kick makes me stagger.

Right now I was sparring with Arcee in the training room. She was more experienced than me and I wanted some pointers so she proposed to spar with me. Thinking back, I wonder if she really did want to help me or if she just thought of it as an excuse to kick my tailpipe.

I regained my footing and caught Arcee's fist in my servo. She tried to punch me with the other but I caught it too. I reared my helm back and slammed it into her faceplate. She stumbled back and I tackled her to the ground. She was a good fighter but I had the weight advantage and used it to pin her down.

Just as I raised my fist to land the finishing blow, she brought her blades up and blocked it. I hissed a bit as I felt the sharp blades cut my digits. Then Arcee managed to get her pede under my chassis and kick me off.

She held her blade up to my neck. "You lose, you're offline." She said. I groaned. We've had three rounds and she's won two of them, I only won one of them by getting her guard down. Looks like my luck's run out.

She retracted her blades into her arms and stepped back. "You're pretty good." She said. I looked at her in shock.

"Did you just compliment me?" I asked her. I mean, she doesn't downright hate me but she doesn't seem to like me that much either. Hearing her compliment me is kinda rare.

She rolled her optics. "Don't let it get to your processor." She said.

"Yeah, hey you're really good with those blades of yours." I said.

"Thanks, you'd be good with them too. I mean, you've pretty much got the skill, pity you don't have them installed on you." Arcee said.

"Yeah...." I said. Then an idea struck me. That's it! I've been good at hand to hand combat but when it comes down to fights, I'm always at a disadvantage since my energon blasters don't work well in CQC.

Time to fix that problem.

I went to the armory and had a look around. We've managed to find all sorts of stuff every now and then when we go raid energon mines. Sometimes its data like last time while sometimes it's other supplies like medical equipment and weapons.

Don't get me wrong, we're not scavengers we just take what we need. And to be fair, not all the stuff belonged to the cons to begin with.

I rummaged through the boxes and found what I was looking for. It was something I snagged when we went to another energon mine, it was a blade but its shape was different, the blade had a distinct recurve in it. Alpha Trion once told me that it was called kukri blade.

Now to find the doc.

As expected, he was in the med bay checking over his equipment.

"Hey, doc." I greeted.

"Smokescreen, what is it? I'm a little busy here." He said as grumpy as ever.

"Look, I was just wondering if you could help me install something." I said. He put down the tool he was checking and turned to look at me.

"Install what?" he asked. I showed him the blade and explained to him that I wanted to have it installed on me so I could use it in combat.

The doc thought about it and nodded. "I should be able to do it. It'll take a while to get used to though. You sure about this?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Ok, don't come complaining to me after this." He said. "Sit down and don't touch anything." With that he went off to get the medical equipment he'd need for this.

Miko's p.o.v

"Eat this!" I yelled and executed a combo attack on Jack's avatar. Right now I was sitting on the couch playing a new video game we bought called 'Street Fighter' and I have to say, it's a pretty rad game.

The racing one was nice and all but it gets tired and pretty boring after a while.

"Oh no you don't!" Jack said as he tried and fail to block it allowing my avatar to clobber him. I whooped in delight while Jack groaned in defeat.

"Come on, pay up." I said smugly as I extended my hand out. Jack sighed before he gave me 5 dollars and two chocolate bars.

"I never should've agreed to this game." He muttered bitterly. I poked him. "Aw, don't be a sore loser~" I teased.

"Um, guys? I hate to interrupt the victory but we gotta go now. It's getting late." Raf said as he zipped his backpack. I looked at the time and realized he was right, as usual.

"Aw man, can't we stay just a little bit longer?" I begged.

"Miko, no. C'mon let's go." Jack said as he put his helmet on.

"You boys are no fun." I pouted but grabbed my guitar case and got into Bulkhead anyway.

As we drove through Jasper, Nevada, I decided to start up a conversation. "So, Bulk, whaddaya think of her?" I asked him.

"Think of whom?" Bulk asked.

"You know, Eve, my cousin. She's pretty cool isn't she?" I said.

"Can't argue with that. I think she's a nice person too. But she seems kinda on edge if you ask me." Bulk said.

"What do you mean, on edge?" I asked him.

"Trust me, Miko. That cousin of yours is a lot smarter than you give her credit for. I mean, I know she didn't seem like it but I think she's onto us." Bulk said.

I thought about it and realized Bulk had a point. Eve has always been academically better than me after all. Then again, she has always been a bit paranoid and all.

"I think Eve's paranoia is rubbing off on you, Bulk." I said. "Besides, if she does find out then that's good, right?"

"How is it good?" Bulk asked.

"Aw c'mon, Bulk. She's a pro at gymnastics and she's a kick butt Taekwondo red belt! She'll give us loads of help on missions and it'll save us bucket loads of trouble." I said. If I could convince Bulk, maybe I could convince the others to let Eve into the loop.

"Trouble that's sometimes caused by you." Bulk muttered. I whacked his dashboard. "I heard that." I said.

"And you know that it's true. Look, Miko, I'm no smarty pants but even I can see what you're trying to do. It's bad enough we've dragged the three of you and Jack's carri- er, mom into this, we don't need to drag another innocent into this war." Bulk said.

"But what if MECH finds out about her? Won't she end up getting dragged into this anyway?" I pointed out. I wasn't lying. With those guys still at large and after what happened to Ms. Darby, I don't wanna take any chances.

Bulkhead went quiet for a while as he thought it over. ".......We'll just have to wait and see. Don't worry, Miko. Optimus will make sure you and every other human is safe, including Evelyn." He reassured me.

"Fine." I said and slouched on the seat.

"Hey, don't get me wrong Miko, Evelyn's a good kid, like you but that's all the more reason I don't want her to get hurt. You don't want her to get hurt either, do ya?" Bulk asked.

"No." I admitted.

"Then let's try to keep her outta our fight while we still can." Bulk said.

"So you admit that she might get involved?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know but I'd be lying if I said no. That girl's smart Miko, she's bound to find out sooner or later." Bulk said.

I agreed with him full heartedly at that.

No one's p.o.v

Unbeknownst to the girl and her Autobot guardian, Evelyn already knows and she intends to solve this case of hers once and for all.

Miko's p.o.v

Soon Bulk dropped me back home and went to 'curbside duty' as he called it. I took a shower and went to eat dinner with my host parents.

They asked me about my day and I told them what I usually did, I went to Sci-Fi Club and did a cool programming experiment. It wasn't that far from the truth I mean, video games are part of programming too, right?

After dinner, I slumped down on my bed and decided to check out my messages. Then my eyes fell on the message Eve sent me. I tapped on it and saw that it was a location. I frowned, why would Eve send me a location? Then I saw the message under it and my eyes widened as I read it.

'Come to this location at midnight, tonight. No excuses. Come alone; don't bother bringing Bulk or his dark green SUV or any of your other buds, you can't bring Jack or Raf either. This isn't a prank. You have to come. We need to talk.'

We need to talk? About what? I read the message again and again as though the answer was somewhere within the message and I missed it but I got nothing.

I put my phone down and thought about it. Why would Eve want to talk to me at midnight of all things and in the middle of nowhere? I clicked on the location and saw that it was an abandoned warehouse. My frown deepened. Why would Eve want to talk at this kinda place of all places.

Did Eve even send this message herself to begin with? How do I know it's not some kind of hacker? Or a prankster? The fact that she wants me to come alone too kinda freaks me out.

Wait, I looked at the message and saw it.

'Come alone; don't bother bringing Bulk or his dark green SUV or any of your other buds, you can't bring Jack or Raf either.'

What does Jack, Raf or Bulk have to do with this? Then I noticed how she said Bulk or his dark green SUV.

Then I thought back to the conversation Bulk and I had earlier.

"I honestly don't know but I'd be lying if I said no. That girl's smart Miko, she's bound to find out sooner or later." Bulk said.

My eyes widened. Oh no. Does she know? What if she does? What if she doesn't? If she does then how much does she already know? More importantly, has she told anyone?

I kept asking myself questions and got no answers. Agh, I hate these kinda situations! There are always so many blanks and unknowns! This is why I hate mystery stuff!

I forced myself to calm down. 'Eve just wants to talk.' I told myself.

For all I know, it's nothing and all this is just a huge prank. 'Then why did she write 'This isn't a prank' in her message?' a voice in my head pointed out.

Ok ok, I know in moments like these you gotta face facts. I'll list them down.

Fact 1: Eve wants to talk to me alone, as in alone alone without Bulk or anyone in the shadows watching.

Fact 2: She's onto me.

Fact 3: She may not know about the Bots specifically but she's definitely onto something. She doesn't do this kinda thing without more or less thinking it through.

Fact 4: I have to go talk with her.

I know Fact 4 to some people is probably the dumbest plan but what choice do I have? Besides, I've known Eve long enough to know that I can trust her.

Fact 5: I know Eve better than anyone, except Ed.

Fact 6: Listen to her and try to talk it out, it's the best solution.

Fact 7: I need to keep it cool.

.......Ok, I'll admit that I'm proud of myself. This is the first time I've listed so many facts.

I sat on my bed for a while and came up with a plan. Ok, I'd go to the location at midnight like Eve asked, by myself. Of course, I'd tell Bulk about this. If I'm not back in three hours, then he can come looking for me. If worse comes to worse I'll use the app Raf installed on my phone. It's an SOS app made specifically for the bots.

A part of me couldn't help but feel happy though. I mean, if Eve does know about the bots then it'll get loads off my shoulders. I could finally tell her everything and bring her into the loop. That way we can hang out more and no more secrets.

The more I thought about it the more I realize this could be a win-win situation.

I won't lie. I'll try to throw Eve off but if that doesn't work I'll tell her everything and come clean. Then, I'll bring her with me to base and explain it all with the Autobots.

With a plan in mind I nodded and decided to take a quick nap.

I looked at time.

20: 30

Three and a half more hours till I have to go. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.

((Two hours later......))

I forced myself to wake up with a groan. I stretched my hands above my head as I yawned. I looked at the time again.

23: 20

I've still got time.

I reluctantly got off my bed and went to get dressed. It was chilly tonight so I decided to wear my grey cat sweater over my usual attire. 

I grabbed my phone and torchlight before I gently eased the door opened.

I poked my head out and as expected, the house was quiet. My host parents were sound asleep in their rooms already. I clicked the torchlight on and made my way down the stairs.

I carefully made my way down and managed to avoid any of the creaky boards that would give me away. Soon I made it to the front. I took a spare set of keys and went out the door into the open.

I walked over to Bulk and knocked his window. His mirror shifted. "Miko, what are you doing out here at this time?!" he whisper shouted.

"Look, Bulk. Lemme explain." I told him about the message Eve sent me and how she wanted to talk to me and how I planned on confronting her.

"Are you sure about this, Miko? This seems fishy to me." Bulk said.

"Yes, I am. Look Bulk, you trust me, right?" I asked him.

"Of course." Bulk said,

"Then I've got this. Trust me, I know Eve better than anyone." I said. Bulk was silent for a while as he mulled it over.

"Fine." Bulk said.

"Look, if I'm not back in three hours, come looking for me, ok?" I said.

"Gotcha. Stay safe, Miko." Bulk said. I smiled at him in what I hope was a reassuring way before I took my bike out of the garage.

I put my helmet on and propped my foot on the pedal.

"Time to roll out." I muttered to myself before pedaling off to the location.

Meanwhile at Evelyn's house......

Evelyn's p.o.v

I gently creaked my door open and poked my head out. The lights were off except for a few small ones and Ed was sound asleep in his room. The lack of sound coming from it was a clear indication that for once, he was asleep.

The night was chilly so I wore my blue sweatshirt over my usual attire and a black cat ear beanie.

I kept my phone, torchlight (the one with the grappling hook), a slingshot, some ammo for said slingshot and the taser in my pockets. My mouth was dry as I went down the stairs.

Why did I choose to do this at midnight again? It seemed like a good idea back then but now thinking back I realized how stupid it was. What was I thinking? This isn't some sort of spy movie.

Either way there's no going back.

I stuffed my beanie into my pocket before putting my helmet on and took a deep breath. I know the risks, but if I don't find answers, I'm going to go mad. I just hope Miko will make it easy for both of us and tell me everything. The truth, all of it.

With that in mind, my resolve strengthened and I swung myself onto Bolt before opening the garage doors and riding off into the cold, silent night.

Tonight's the night I get answers.

No one's p.o.v

It was a cold night in Jasper, Nevada. The only sound breaking the fragile silence was the wind. The stars in the sky simply stared down on the earth. Miko looked up at the stars. She wasn't really into astrophysics but even she couldn't help but admire the stars. The only things keeping her company on this quiet chilly night were the stars, the sandy terrain and the abandoned warehouse behind her.

Miko decided to wait outside for Evelyn. That way she could see that it was actually her coming and besides, Miko has a feeling that the warehouse wasn't exactly stable or safe. She looked back at it and could've sworn she heard something creak and snap inside emphasizing her point.

A gust of wind blew and she shivered. She went to the location like the message told her to. She checked the time on her phone for the umpteenth time.

23: 50

Miko sighed. 'I shouldn't have come so early.' She thought. The longer she waited, the more agitated she became.

'What if this is a prank? Or a hacker? What if....what if it's the cons?!' she thought in panic. It wasn't that far fetched, after all, the alien technology the cons possessed were leagues ahead of human technology.

Miko heard tires crunching on the road and looked up to see a blue electric bike headed her way. She panicked a bit but relaxed when she saw that it was Evelyn.

"You're here early." Evelyn remarked as she got off the bike. "Didn't expect to see you here so soon." She took off her helmet and replaced it with her cat ear beanie.

"Couldn't you have picked another place to talk?" Miko asked. Another gust of wind blew and they both shuddered. "Or another time?"

"Sorry, but you and I both know this is serious and we both need privacy for what we're about to discuss." Evelyn said in a serious tone that said that the time for formalities and chit chat was over.

"Ok, Miko, tell me what the he!l is going on. I know you're not telling me everything and I know you're not simply at Sci-Fi Club meetings." Evelyn said. Miko opened her mouth but Evelyn didn't want to give her a chance.

"Don't try to come up with some lame excuse, I have proof." Evelyn whipped out her phone and showed her all the evidence. Miko looked at it all and her eyes widened. Evelyn wasn't kidding around and she had the proof to back her up.

"And how can I tell that this is real? For all we know, you could've just asked Ed to make it up." Miko retorted. Evelyn sighed.

"Miko, please stop giving me that bullcr@p. You and I both know the truth so please, make this easier for both of us and tell me, What's. Going. On?" Evelyn pressed on.

Miko thought about it. Should she tell her? Earlier she'd told herself that she would and that she was ready but was she really?

Miko wanted to get it all out, to get rid of it all, the lies, the deception everything but.....she felt like if she told Eve everything, she'd be ratting the bots out and she was their friend too and she literally owed them her life.

Still, in the end, she was and still is Evelyn's cousin, friend and sister figure long before she became the Autobots' ally.

"Ok, Evelyn, you're right. It's time I've told you everything. But prepare to be blown away and before you ask, no, I am not crazy." Miko said.

"That's exactly what I've been saying to myself." Evelyn said.

Just as Miko was about to open her mouth to explain everything, they were interrupted by the sounds of approaching vehicles.

They whipped their heads around and saw a few pairs of bright headlights heading their way.

"I thought you came alone!" They said at the same time then blinked.

"Wait, I take it that isn't your friend?" Evelyn asked Miko. Her cousin shook her head in response.

"No, it isn't." The headlights were too low to the ground and the shape of the vehicle was too sleek.

"I doubt that's Ed." Evelyn said. As they came closer, Miko could make out their sleek black finish and her eyes widened. Oh no.

She grabbed Evelyn's wrist. "Eve, we gotta get outta here, now!" she said urgently and pulled Evelyn away before she could respond. Soon the two of them were running as fast as they could as though they were being chased by hounds from Satan himself.

"Why? What's going on?!" Evelyn asked as she ran with Miko. She's never heard her cousin sound so scared or urgent before.

"They're cons! Long story short, they're the bad guys!" Miko said. They turned around and sure enough the cars were still chasing after them.

"What the he!l do they want with us?! Shouldn't we dial 911?" Evelyn asked. Miko barked a short laugh that had zero humor in it.

"The police won't stand a chance, trust me." Miko said. They ran and ran until they reached nothing but sandy terrain.

"We should try and lose them then double back to the city, that way there's more witnesses and the....cons might be more careful." Evelyn suggested.

"I doubt it." Miko said and whipped her phone out. She pressed on the SOS app before slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"Miko Nakadai, you have a helluva lot of explaining to do after this!" Evelyn said to Miko as they ran. 'If we're even alive to do so.' Evelyn thought grimly as the vehicles got closer and closer by the second.