Needlework the way, never you betray

Life of death becoming clearer

Pain monopoly, ritual misery

Chop your breakfast on a mirror

Taste me you will see

More is all you need

You're dedicated to

How I'm killing you

Come crawling faster

Obey your master

Your life burns faster

Obey your master

Master

Master of Puppets - Metallica

Dean sat in Ironhide's alt-mode, watching as a damaged Metallicar drove away with his brother. Following her was Bumblebee with Samuel, Mikeala and some kid named Leo. Then there was Skids, Mudflap and Sunstreaker. Sideswipe chose to stay with them in order to utilize the twin bond. That way they could talk without the humans hacking into their feed.

::Dean?:: He looked to the radio, waiting for Ironhide to continue on. ::She'll be fine.:: Dean winced and looked away, remembering the energon that had stained his guardian.

"No. She won't. Not after what Optimus did for her." He looked out the window. "She's blaming herself."

::Yes. She is. But she'll soon see that it wasn't her fault.:: Ironhide followed the others, keeping a close optic on the body hanging from the helicopter.

"I hope you're right 'Hide." He sighed. "For her sake."

-

Metallicar's engine sputtered as her holoform drove, taking it easy. "You should have gone back to base." She jumped, covering her mouth to avoid screaming in pain. Every wound she had sustained showed on her holoform's body. And there was no doubt that they'd probably leave scars. If she were human that was.

Sam often found himself forgetting that their new comrades were visitors from another world. They were so human he couldn't help it. They bled, cried, laughed, loved lost. They could die. Just like a human could. He couldn't help it if they seemed almost human to him.

"Fucking hell Cas, what do you think we're doing?" Metallicar's voice cut Sam from his thoughts. "I doubt he even realizes it now."

"What?" She sighed.

"Look at your arm moron." He did so and blinked in confusion, seeing a series of glyphs written in pen.

"When did I get a pen?"

"You asked for it." Metallicar spoke as if it were simple. "Losing your mind Sammy?" She attempted to joke but it fell flat, the pain in her voice causing worry to fill the car. She turned off into an alley and opened the doors.

Sam and Castiel left, allowing her to transform. She did so slowly, pain visible as she finished transforming. She forced her battle mask down and slumped against the nearby building. She clasped her servo over her side and Castiel walked over.

"Metallicar?" She shook her helm and forced herself onto her feet.

"I'll be fine Cas. Just watch Sammy." She limped away and stopped in a corner, a sudden stillness running through her before she slammed into the ground. Sunstreaker transformed and sighed.

"Stubborn glitch put herself into a stasis lock. Bee!"

"Yes, sir!" He let his passengers out and transformed, heading to Metallicar and kneeling down with Sunstreaker. Together they set to work, leaving Skids and Mudflap with the humans, who stood around talking.

"Yo, Leo!" The twins chorused.

"This thing's gonna give me a heart attack, I swear." Leo grumbled as Mudflap pointed at him.

"That's 'cause you's a wuss."

"You guys forced me into that car, right? So." He pointed out.

"I think he's scared." Mudflap laughed.

"Hey, Mudflap, what are we gonna do with this shrimp taco?" His twin asked.

"Let's pop a cap in his ass, throw him in the trunk and then nobody gonna know nothing, know what I mean?"

"Not in my trunk!"

"Yo, bumper cars? I'm hearing you, okay? I'm right here and I can hear you! No one's popping any caps in any asses, okay? I've had a hell of a day!"

"Boogy-boogy-boogy-boo!" The red twin mocked as Leo walked off.

"Why don't you get a haircut with your bitch ass?"

"Go whine to your boyfriend." The two turned their attention back to Metallicar.

"Hatchet's gonna glitch when he sees her." Skids muttered.

"Yeah. 'E is." Both turned around to see Crosshairs behind them. "Ya really shoul' keep a better optic out." He shoved past them and walked to his sister, sitting by her and pulling her onto his lap.

"Crosshairs."

"Don'. I'm not leavin' er." With that they fell silent, the two mechs working carefully as Crosshairs held his little sister.

-

Alice Singer ran out the bay doors as everyone arrived, her eyes scanning for her guardian. "Optimus!" She called, looking desperately for the flamed Peterbilt. She finally saw the helicopter, the clips releasing themselves as she ran towards it. "Prime!" She panicked.

"Hysteria." Ironhide tried to stop her but she slipped through his fingers, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Miss Singer." She stopped in her tracks and turned looking up to Ratchet. "I'm sorry. But he's gone." She shook her head and ran over, crawling onto his chest.

"No! He can't be dead. Come on Optimus!" She pleaded, stopping between the shattered windshields. She looked down, seeing only darkness where there once was light. "H-he promised. Promised he'd come back." She fell to her knees and then forwards, her arms braced on the metal of his chest. Her forehead touched the chamber over where his spark once lay.

"Hysteria?" Ratchet spoke lightly.

"He promised he'd come back safely." She became disconnected, barely taking note as vehicles began to surround them.

"What's the meaning of this?" Sideswipe called out.

"You dare point a weapon at me? You want a piece of me? I will tear you apart!" He yelled as Galloway stepped from on of the cars.

Alice raised up, looking directly at Galloway and missing part of their conversation.

"What we need is to come up with a suitable diplomatic solution." The director suggested.

"What, like giving up the kid? There's no negotiating with them!" Lennox snapped.

"All options are being considered." He retorted.

"This fool is terribly misinformed." Ratchet voiced, gesturing to Galloway. Alice carefully slid down, walking over to Ironhide. He knelt down and held a servo out for her as Galloway stepped up to Lennox.

"I'm ordering you to stand down." The balding man snapped as he ripped the badge from Lennox's chest. He then sneered at the man. "You won't be needing this anymore. Get your assets back to base! And take that pile of scrap metal back to Diego Garcia. Let's go!"

Alice growled and turned, heading to Galloway. "Hey director!" He turned and she threw her fist out, bruising jaw before punching him in the gut. A she doubled over she brought her knee up, rebreaking his nose and sending him sprawling back on the ground. None of his men moved to help him as she knelt, picking him up by the collar of his shirt. "Have some damn respect!" She punched him again, causing his jaw to pop out of place. "He was their leader and my best friend!"

Ratchet walked over and carefully pried her off, Dean on his shoulder and grinning like mad. "Easy. You are not allowed to kill him."

"Nice swing Hysteria." He grinned.

"Thanks Dean." She left it at that as Galloway stood and climbed into his vehicle. Epps walked up beside Lennox and crossed his arms.

"I really don't like that dude. He's an asshole." Lennox nodded in agreement before sighing and looking up at Alice.

"Thanks. You did what all of us wanted to do." She only nodded before climbing down and going to Optimus. She said nothing more as she walked over and curled up in a gap in his armor. "Let's move people!"

"And Hysteria?" Sideswipe asked.

"Leave her. Let her mourn." They all nodded and left, leaving Alice to stay with her guardian.

-

Crosshairs had fallen into recharge as the two golden bots repaired Metallicar. Granted, neither were medics but all Autobots were required to know at least field patching. Sam was helping now, getting into the small spaces and fixing what they were unable to reach. Parts of her armor had been removed so that they could access the worst of the wounds.

She remained in stasis lock even as her energon lines were sealed. Something that worried all of the bots deeply. Most likely she needed energon, which neither currently had access to.

So as they finished they stood, waking Crosshairs so they could take the injured femme inside. After that they walked outside and transformed into their alt-modes. keeping an eye out for any intruders.

They never suspected an intrusion could come from within.

-

Dean sat on Ratchet's servo, watching the mech as he strolled down the halls. They were going to go retrieve Hysteria so that she didn't freeze to death in the cold desert air.

"Dean." Ratchet's light tone made him look up. "What was Metallicar's condition when you last saw her?"

"Not good." Dean admitted. Ratchet growled and Dean froze. "Take it easy Ratch. She'll be fine. Crosshairs went after her and she knows how to do a field patch."

"Her field patches don't always hold well." He muttered, walking outside. Dean moved to speak when Sideswipe came rolling out on his skates, transforming them back into pedes when he stopped by them.

"Hatchet!" This earned him a dark glare by the medic. "Metallicar's gone into stasis lock. Sunny, Bee and the Winchester Sam are fixing her. They need energon real bad but won't tell us where they are."

"Metallicar's request?"

"On the olfactory sensor." He pointed to his nose and turned to Prime's body. "Think Hyst is gonna be well enough for travel tomorrow?"

"She's already stated that she's riding with Prime's body. She doesn't want to leave him." Sideswipe slumped slightly and walked over with Ratchet. He set Dean down and he walked over to Hysteria, who was curled up against a piece of the armor that managed to remain warm.

"Hyst?" She looked up at him and turned away, her hand against the metal.

"Can Autobots become ghosts?"

"I don't know. But Optimus wouldn't have. He'd trust the safety of his Autobots to NEST and the humans they work with. He knows they're in good hands. There's nothing tying him here." She shook her head.

"There is." She sobbed. "I told him that if he didn't come back I'd hunt him down." A choked laugh escaped her.

"Hysteria?" Sideswipe looked to her.

"He told me that he'd come back. He swore. He said that, if he didn't, he'd make sure I was always protected." Dean pulled her into a hug.

"You are. None of us will let any harm come to you." Ratchet spoke. "I swear."

She only nodded and prepared to let them lead her inside.

-

To say he felt confused was an understatement. Lost, no. Scared? Definitely.

Optimus Prime stood over his own body, watching as Dean, Ratchet and Sideswipe comforted his charge. He tried to speak to them but found nothing coming out. He knelt down, watching Hysteria as she turned, placing her palm to the metal beside her.

"Because of me he's probably trapped here." She muttered.

"Hysteria." He sighed. She stiffened, seeming to hear him. She looked around, searching everywhere. He tried again. "It's not your fault." Her head whipped around, looking at him. No, he had to remind himself, she was looking through him. She couldn't see him.

"Dean?" She looked to him. "C-can I stay out here for an hour? And then I'll go back in." He looked up to Ratchet, who nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you inside." The trio turned and left, Hysteria watching them until they were out of earshot.

"I knew I was binding you here, Optimus." She sighed, leaning against his frame.

"What?" She smiled and looked to him.

"Mediumship. The ability to communicate with the dead." Her gaze focused on him. "One of the perks of being a psychic."

-

Crosshairs sat outside of the door, hearing the humans within as they snored. Truthfully he loathed the creatures. But his big sister liked them so he sucked it up and dealt with them.

The doors and windows of buildings and cars around him pulled him from his thoughts and he looked around. Nothing seemed to be amiss, though there was no wind or way for them to be moving. Crosshairs stood, pulling a gun from underneath his jacket and holding it at the ready.

"That won't work on me." He turned, his weapon aimed at a woman with long silvery-gold hair. Her eyes were green and reassuring. "I hope I didn't frighten you."

"Rose?" Crosshairs turned to see Castiel. "Why are you here?"

"Metallicar is dying and if she does then Dean won't be the same." She held out a small blue container. "Not much but then again there isn't much natural stuff left."

"Energon." Crosshairs blinked. She handed him the little vial and he looked at it.

"Pour it directly into her spark chamber. Odd, I know. But sometimes, it pays to have a little faith." She smiled and looked to Castiel. "And you. Watch Sam. You are not to leave his side until this mess is over. There's a bigger threat than Lilith and Megatron coming to Earth. And if it finds what it's looking for than this world is doomed."

"Understood." Rose smiled and nodded.

"Very well then. Sleep well." She smiled and then faded out of sight.

"Wha-"

"Rose is one of my sisters." Crosshairs looked confused. "An angel?"

"A wha'?"

"And they call me an idiot." He turned, taking the energon and walking inside. "I'm going to go give this to your sister."

"No ya ain't. 'Ow do ah know if i's poison o' not?"

"Metallicar is important to Dean and Dean is important to us. Ergo, we need her alive. Not dead." He walked inside, Crosshairs transforming and following him. He watched as Castiel climbed onto her chest and opened the container. "A bit of help please?" Crosshairs sighed before transforming and reaching up under a piece of armor. He pulled something that let out a hiss, allowing the armor on her chest to come off. Crosshairs set it aside and looked in at the dim orb of blue light.

"Betta be careful." Castiel nodded and carefully poured the energon onto her spark. It burned brighter, prompting both of them to turn away. As the light faded Crosshairs replaced her armor, the resounding click causing all to fall still. In the next moment on of the doors from her chest was in hand, pressed against Crosshairs throat.

Sam stared as once blue optics burned red, focused on nothing and everything at the same instantly. Finally they trained on Crosshairs, instantly reverting back to blue.

"Crossers? What the hell happened?"

"Long storeh." He muttered.

"I think we have time."

-

"Metallicar." The black femme looked up from cleaning her shotgun, looking to Crosshairs. "Samuel and Sam. They're-"

"Both writing in the Language of the Primes on the floor? I know."

"Ya know pretty much only-"

"A prime can read them. Come on Crossers this is sparkling knowledge."

"Then ya know their minds a'e smaller than ou's. They'll go insane with th' pure knowledge th' All Spark is feeding 'em." She lowered her gun, gaze falling to the ground.

"I know." She whispered. "But it chose them to give information to. There's nothing that can be done about that. But Sammy... He's part Autobot. He's used to the energon. Maybe. Just maybe he'll adapt to what's being fed to him."

"And if 'e doesn't?" She turned away while subspacing her shotgun and pulling out her arm blades. She muttered something that Crosshairs didn't quite catch. "Sparky?"

"I said that he will!" She snapped, looking up at Crosshairs. "He will adapt and he will survive it! I've already failed twice, I'm not going to let it happen a third time!"

"Easy." She sighed.

"Sorry Crossers. I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"We'll fight. We'll win and we'll save the two idiots." She smiled up and tugged him down in a hug.

"What would I do without ya Cross?"

"Be dead in a rut on Cybertron." She chuckled.

"Ya know, you're probably righ'." She sighed and looked up to the stars, her optics settling on one by pure instinct. "As usual."