"Isn't that the stuff that powers my eyes?" (Y/N) questioned from the platform, earning a tired huff from Ratchet, who had been working on the Synthetic Energon formula. 

         "It's called energon, and no, which may be a problem as we are very low. You said it only took a drop in each?"

         "In human terms." She gave a sober nod, expression relaxed, though she blinked often as her optics were a dry metal, her body trying to remedy this apparent problem. "It should last for a few days."

The medic nodded before injecting his experimental liquid into a motor. 

     (Y/N) was soon joined by Raphael, an excited look in his eyes when he noticed the green serum working, at least for the non-sentient machine. Ratchet wasn't so willing to claim victory as he peered into his microscope. It was stable, but they had not a clue of what it may do to a living Cybertronian once injected into their system. (Y/N) understood his concern, but if push came to shove, she wondered if their desperation for energon would make them easily manipulated into using it. 

         "If it's working, and hasn't caused any side effects so far on the motor, why not try it on a living being?  Would my optics work?" She inquired innocently.

         "Preposterous!" Was the annoyed answer. "If we tried this on your optics, who knows what would happen! It works on a machine, yes, and while your optics are falsely manufactured, they are still a part of your anatomy now. The effects on your human processor could very potentially be devastating."

     The reaction was very negative, but the seed had been planted in Ratchet's mind. Logic said the Synthetic Energon was safe so far, though medical and scientific practices said that it needed more refining and experimentation. It mattered little to (Y/N). All she needed to do was bring the formula to the Decepticons, or the concoction itself. It certainly wouldn't be an easy feat but as bots went out to hunt down more energon, she knew someone had a similar idea about their energon stores.

         "Ratchet let me help!" The human begged, a pathetic look on her face as she hissed when her arm was moved to far one way or the next. "Won't they want me back? I can act as bait and-"

         "And get captured again? You're an odd human, and idiotic if you think I'd allow you to do that. Just this morning you ate human food and purged not half an Earth hour later." He was frantically typing on the computer, all the while trying to convince Arcee to fall back after being cut off by a fly-by of the Seeker Armada. The 'Cons were smart, so they may have figured out how desperate they were for energon.

         "That was 45 minutes, to be exact, so there." (Y/N) flipped her hair with a bullheaded flair, knowing the attitude will be noted later on and in Miko's hearing. "The Synthetic Energon is a no-go, you said so yourself, so someone has to help Arcee!"

         "Fine, make yourself useful and go prepare an energon cart!" 

     With a salute, the human femme ran off, down the platform and towards the energon storage. She knew full well this was an impossible task, considering her size and the fact he probably believed she had no clue what an energon cart was. The last part could be deducted quite easily, but the discoloration of Ratchet's optics told more than enough that he had given in to the idea of using the Synthetic Energon. Raph had taken no notice or didn't express his concern when he was with them, but while she kept quiet, (Y/N) found it amusing how easily these bots were to manipulate in times of great need and desperation.

     Making a U-turn, the human started running once the groundbridge started up, seeing Ratchet about to charge through.

         "Are you nuts?" She cried, but was ignored, being left in the base with the youngest boy. "Raph, can you pull up Ratchet's vitals on the computer?"

         "Sorry, no, but I might be able to on my laptop."

This held promise as the woman clambered back up on the platform, taking her place behind Raphael as he plugged his machine into Ratchet's.

     When the team came back, it was a victory, but not for the Autobots. Yes, they came back, for the most part well off, and Ratchet was okay even with the Synth-En running through his systems, but his countenance and attitude had changed drastically.

         "Ratchet, don't you think you should be at the computer terminal, not throwing Bulkhead through walls that he has to fix?" (Y/N) questioned the medic, but he only brushed her off.

         "It'll give the lug something constructive to do, literally!" He laughed. "Why, worried I'll get hurt?"

         "No, worried I'll get hurt." She admitted as they entered the main area of the missile silo. 

         "Is that so?" 

     It surprised even the calculating (Y/N) when he picked her up and tossed her in his servo a bit, much like he did Raph when the team had arrived back, gentle and in jest but still, for her fragile form, and the false tortures she was forced to endure, (Y/N) played the part of terrified. She started to beg and plead for him to stop, and he did once he realized this particular human was not in any condition to play around, even if he was only tossing her as a father would their child. He gave a small apology before placing her on the couch gently. The woman watched him leave, shaking and curled into a ball, from the corner of her eye. She watched him hesitate before entering another room. 

         "Perhaps I acted too well." she wondered, hoping he was not going to dispose of the last of his finished specimens. 

     Lifting herself up after another few minutes, (Y/N) silently crept to inspect where Ratchet had disappeared to. She had not heard him go out, but the mech was not within the smaller room when she peered from the other side. The high cupboard was left ajar, but it was too dark to see within, so the human femme found a maintenance vehicle that could raise her high enough to reach it. It wasn't exactly as high as she wanted but standing on the railing of the machine allowed her enough height to peer over the edge of the cupboard and spy the now empty Synthetic Energon cannister. 

     She slipped down from the railing, ripping the shirt given to her by June, but only by an inch or two. The transition down was painfully slow, paranoia growing as pedesteps came near just outside. With quick thinking, the human slipped the maintenance equipment back into its place and rushed to the middle of the room before Optimus peered in.

         "(Y/N), I don't think you should be away from the main area. It is easy for you to get lost."

         "Sorry Optimus." She answered sheepishly, digging a toe into the concrete, playing shy, "I just- I saw Ratchet come in here and I wanted to say sorry for something I said."

         "I understand." The Prime nodded. "Come with me, and we will speak to him. There is something that must be discussed anyway."

     This made (Y/N) worry. She was sure her saying that Ratchet having entered that room proved what Optimus might have thought of him taking more Synth-En. This didn't bode well for her plans, and proved Optimus was a bit more in tune with his team's actions, speculated or not. In other words, an opportunity like this won't happen often. Desperation is a wonderful tool but play to much with it and you can be caught. (Y/N) was smart so far, so that wasn't the issue. Her dilemma was catching the Prime off guard with his crew. 

         "Looks like the 'Cons hit another vein."

Hearing this made the woman perk. That would definitely put a hitch in the Prime's plan to talk to Ratchet.

         "Then we shall investigate." Optimus nodded, watching (Y/N) climb up to the safety of the platform. 

         "Are you letting Ratchet go with you?" The woman then asked, being answered by said medic.

         "I would hope so."

The Prime frowned when he saw his longtime friend leaning on the wall. The front lines were not his place, and certainly not with his current state of mind.

         "I do not think this mission will require medical expertise. After all, the groundbridge-"

         "Bumblebee can pilot the groundbridge well enough." Ratchet sauntered up to the groundbridge generator, waving the thought off as if it really didn't matter. "After all, you may need the extra fire power."

Optimus looked to (Y/N), a silent apology being met with an equally as sorry smile. 

     The group left, but (Y/N) bolted after them. Bumblebee whirred in alarm when he heard her tiny steps disappear through the worm hole. The human jumped the rest of the way, wincing as her ankle twisted, but she ignored it as best she could. (Y/N) didn't see the Autobots, meaning they were already well ahead of her but for safety's sake she hid behind a rock before closing her optics and focusing on the messaging frequency program before opening them again.

         :(Y/N) to Soundwave. You will soon receive an Autobot with an important project. Extract it from him when there is a chance. Over and out.:

     The rather cryptic message sent, she ran after the bots, watching as Ratchet slaughtered who he could and even ran after a lowly Miner. She guessed that would be his downfall, and Soundwave may not have need to come looking for her signal, though her specialized optics did catch sight of Laserbeak far above them, unnoticed by the Autobots. (Y/N) only halted her chase after hitching a ride on the unsuspecting Prime, climbing the ridge, and soon released her grip, hiding behind another rock once more. She spotted Laserbeak again, but only as he entered a groundbridge. She cared little for what the Prime or the medic had to say as she entered their own once it had activated, and Ratchet was ordered to go back. She had just come out on the other side with a worried Bee when Ratchet entered, then turned and ran back.

         "Where's he going?" (Y/N) faked concern. "Can't you make another bridge appear in front of him?"

The Scout could only whirr and shake his helm as the other three came back and started searching for Ratchet's energon signal.

         "Optimus, why can't you pinpoint his location?" She continued to act worried, as if a guilty conscience ate at her from what she may have said to the medic (the Prime unknowing of her deceit).

        "The Synthetic Energon is most likely disrupting his natural energon signature." He explained solemnly. "We will keep looking nonetheless."

     The woman merely hoped they did not find him too soon. She was glad the scout had not mentioned her running off, but he more than likely assumed the others had kept her safe since they had not scolded him about letting the crippled human escape. They wouldn't of course, because they still did not know. Those stunts would have to be kept at a minimum, however, because it could result in conflicting stories told to different bots. These warning thoughts still didn't keep the human from feeling a trifle smug either way, the expression of horror on her face when the signature came back online earning the desired looks of sympathy. Her actions showed the medic had grown on her, and she really felt sorry for what she might have said. 

         "No- he'll bleed to death!" 

The thought delighted her. Surely that was enough to give Knockout a proper reading of the Synth-En's contents and chemical makeup.

     She did not follow this time, instead resorted to sobbing on the couch as if she had lost all hope of him coming back. The activated groundbridge brought her tear-stained attention up, and she gasped at the sight of Ratchet.

         "Is he..."

         "He will mend." Optimus nodded. "Both good and bad energon were lost, but Ratchet will not be."