Marissa dared to step into the room, feeling as if the Allspark was staring at her as it sparked and flashed plasma-like strands, similar to the pattern on the bracelet. The minute her foot touched the floor of the once sealed room, a flash of lightening reached for her, scaring the woman into hiding behind the wall on the other side of one guard.

         'What am I doing here?' She asked herself. 'Why couldn't I have just given Vector to Optimus? This was stupid!'

     Her heavy breathes were heard by the man forced against the wall, their eyes locking for a brief moment. He took that opportunity to shake his head as best he could. The device he was guarding was clearly going haywire. It was too dangerous for a civilian like this woman. How she entered the heavily armed base, he had no idea, but there was no way he was going to be able to even protect her from whatever was going on. To the man's dismay, the brown eyed woman nodded her head, still with fear forcing her pupils into pinpricks as she rounded the corner again.

     Deciding to take Vector Sigma off her wrist, Marissa held him out toward the sparking shard. 

         "What now?" She asked the entity, dodging bolts of energy as best she could. This was not her idea of 'saving the day', but she supposed such a happening came in many scenarios.

        'Bring me closer, Marissa.' Vector Sigma urged, the strings of plasma within the bracelet beginning to move nearly as much the energy striking off the walls.

     Marissa obliged, closing her eyes tightly as both pieces began to glow, and the floor began to vibrate with energy. Her bare feet began to feel hot, and the tips of her hair started to prickle as lights flickered and blew. She wasn't sure how close she was supposed to get to the Allspark shard, all she knew was that her thin lids were no longer enough to keep the light from her eyes. The next step was to use her free arm, but with an even brighter flash, Vector Sigma was torn from her fingers and a shockwave of sound forced the human to cover her ears. 

She wondered if she screamed, but her memory was far too hazy as she opened her eyes.

     Finding herself on the floor, the human femme guessed she had fainted though it must not have been for long as groans from outside the door met her ears. With terrified eyes she searched for what might be her entity friend, having no idea of what he'd look like after reuniting the two halves. Scrambling to her bare feet, Marissa rounded the fried case, or whatever pedestal they had kept the relic in, finding a small cube, no bigger than a Rubic's Cube puzzle.

     Picking it up, she held it in between both palms, staring at it in wonder.

         "Vector?" Her voice sounded small and rough, so she guessed she had screamed earlier. 

         'Hello, Marissa.' An unfamiliar voice dripped in her head, a deeper, far more powerful voice. 'Your friend is still here, in fact, he is I. Now is not the time to speak, however. Follow me.'

     Wondering how on Earth she was going to follow a Rubik's Cube, she looked around, suddenly very wary of the shuffling guards just outside the open door. Nothing seemed to happen as the device in her hands suggested might as the two soldiers outside gained back their senses and began to scramble for their rifles. Their steps were met by more scrambling from other halls as whoever was closest ran toward their prized asset, making the woman inside feel trapped and claustrophobic as she remembered she was, once again, underground.

     Holding the Cube close to her chest, Marissa tried to squeeze herself between the pipes and metal at the back of the room, wishing she were skinnier as her waist stopped her from slipping passed them like a piece of paper. The eyes of frantic men met her terrified orbs, a breath of silence enveloping them as the one guard from before watched who he expected to be a corpse fall deep into the Earth, the transformed metal closing in on itself before they could reach the trespassing woman.

     The small troupe of military men stood, staring at the empty spot on the floor. Some were afraid to near it, as if they too would be swallowed up, but the man who had warned the woman stepped over it with a foot, inspecting the metal ground for anything that would suggest it had moved like they had all seen. However, there was no sign of the floor receding, and the man ordered for the others to search for the device that had just been stolen. The group behind him filed out as he stared at the space the mystery woman had once been, appearing just as terrified as him.

         'What the hell was she thinking?' He wondered to himself, more concerned for her than the fact she was more or less a criminal.

     Marissa wasn't sure herself, screaming like a banshee as she went deeper underground. Her hands clawed at the sides of the chute, making her skin burn and her nails chip to the quick in her desperation to stop. She pleaded and screamed to whoever would hear her as she changed tactics and tried to stop with her bare feet and the heel of her palms. They were just beginning to redden with heat and burn from the friction when the chute turned, and her decent was lessened until she stopped altogether.

     The woman whimpered, holding her hands close to her chest as they burned and bled a little. She didn't bother checking her feet as she crawled forward toward the glowing cube she had dropped, elbows feeling the cold floor of metal.

         'Are you alright?' The voice asked in her head as she picked up the small glowing device by the sides of her arms. 

         "Shut up-" she demanded, trying to think through the pain of her hands and feet. "Why did I-" she choked on her flowing tears, deciding to drop the cube in favor of wiping her blurry and grit filled eyes, "why did I pick up that stupid piece of debris?" She asked herself. "Why didn't I just give it to Starscream or Barricade? What was I thinking?"

         'You were thinking I was a pretty piece of art hatched from poor circumstances.' The familiar 'plip' appeared, morphing back into the lower energy-filled voice that had yet to introduce itself. 'Come now, child. You are not safe yet.'

         "Safe?" She whispered, despite being in what felt like a metal box, the cube her only light source. "What do you know about safe? I haven't been safe this entire time. Not in Mission City, not at home- ever since I picked you up my life has gone to hell and who do I have to blame?" 

     The entity didn't answer her. He wasn't sure how he could, as it was many an individual's fault. 

         Shane Faireborn's: for not pressing for his daughter to give up the bracelet any more than he did.

         Marissa Faireborn herself: for a number of reasons. From picking up a strange piece of debris to not giving it to either the Decepticons or the Autobots.

         Optimus Prime's: for not forcing the woman to go home, as she surely would not have had a choice.

         Vector Sigma himself: for growing attached to a human, a species so fragile compared to the Cybertronian race.

     So, for a long time, Marissa cried. Rocking back and forth, blowing on her red hands. She laid herself down on the cold floor, knowing she was running out of oxygen, but she didn't quit care. The distraught human only wanted to be back home where she had been comfortable. Where she had all that she wanted: a loving family, a house over her head and a lack of excitement. She hated being in dangerous situations, needlessly dangerous situations.

         Then why did she act like it was okay before now?

     None of what she had gone through was okay! Being abducted was certainly not on her bucket list, neither were nearly falling to her death or even going to Mission City. She wanted nothing to do with such exciting misadventures, such dangerous situations that could get her killed.

     But why was she feeling so strongly against what she had originally not minded in the beginning of her misadventure? She had even felt like she was having fun in some cases.

         "I want to go home-" Marissa whispered, red, wet eyes slowly turning to stare at the light source. "I don't belong here."

         'You say this as if I do.' The voice soothed. 'I am afraid I am at fault for your anguish. What I thought was an acceptance of me and my creations must have been shock and disassociation. Please, do not hate them. I will bare your anger.'

         "Shut up-" the human femme covered her ears as if that would block out the intruding voice. "I don't know what to think anymore! I was just fine and now I'm- I'm-"

     She let herself cry some more, hugging her knees close to her body as the glowing cube sat silently beside her. The alien entity wished he could do something for her. Soothe her, comfort her, give a word of assurance that everything would be alright, but he couldn't even bring himself to attempt to delve into her thoughts, something he realized he wasn't able to determine as accurately like in the beginning. He supposed it was because of Marissa's trauma response. Or perhaps she herself had figured out how to block him out. Whichever it was, he didn't think she'd appreciate her thoughts being read so easily anyway. 

     Feeling the sensation of being held again, the restored creator pointed his consciousness toward the crying woman, noting her demeaner seemed defeated, but calm. Her brown eyes stared at the side before flicking to stare at him. She took a few breathes before speaking again.

         "Are you okay?" She asked him, surprising the entity.

         'I-' he wondered if she was still mad with him, something he would understand, but he could tell she was truly worried for his wellbeing despite her outburst, 'Yes, Marissa, I am well.'

         "Alright." She nodded and gave a heavy sigh, deciding to lean against the metal wall of her box. "Where am I?"

         'Just below where I had opened the ground beneath you when we were outside.' Marissa realized she could hear Vector Sigma's voice, but it was paired with another, deeper voice. She thought she'd be weirded out by something like that, but it was rather soothing. 'As a creator of metal beings, it is only natural I can use other alloys for my own will.'

         "That makes sense." Marissa nodded. "I guess we should head back up though-" She wasn't able to finish as the air in her little box became insufficient to supply her need for oxygen after her panic attack, and the woman fainted, dropping the ancient relic to the floor.

     What was once Vector Sigma attempted to wake her by prodding her mind, but the familiar 'plip' she had grown used to was not enough to stir the woman into the waking world. Once again he wished he could do something, something to help her- 

     He realized there was one thing he could do, something he knew well.

)-/\-(

     Galloway was arguing with Colonel Lennox, Sergeant Eps having come along to "join the party" as he had joked upon his arrival (said jest not being received well). When the other soldier was informed of the missing person and relic, he wasn't sure whose side to back up, for once. Sure, Eps trusted the Autobots, but putting their very creator in the hands of an overall unknown woman who had found said entity on the side of the road in Mission City? Who cared if Vector Sigma had taken a liking to her, she was a civilian and had no business being the holder of such power.

         Then he thought of Sam and Mikaela, who were being held in their guardian's servos (as was Miles). They were exactly that and Sam had become the most trusted of the team. 

     The Autobots were standing behind the group, Starscream and Barricade surrounded by several vehicles with heavy artillery rounds pointed directly at their chassis. The friends of the human race guessed Galloway dubbed them unimportant if not a single gun was pointed at even Optimus. They noted that the two Decepticons were not passive about the situation for once, but who would be when they were surrounded by humans with itchy trigger fingers. Despite them being their enemy, Optimus couldn't help but feel an amount of worry for the two, as they had been at least mildly helpful in their venture. The leader's thoughts could not be voiced, however, or he risked the heightened ire of Galloway. They could not afford such a mistake with Marissa still missing, and with the very heart of their planet still with her.

         "This is treason, Lennox!" Galloway threatened, only acting so high and mighty because of the government goons behind him. He clearly was wary of another sneak attack from the missing Marissa. "I will have you and your little team disbanded before the sun sets tonight. Every single one of you will be marked a terrorist."

         "Little?" Ironhide chuffed, earning a warning stare from Optimus.

         "Mark my words, William Lennox," Galloway continued, refusing to let the soldier have his own word in the argument, "this will be the last time these beings try to do things their way. It causes nothing but trouble!"

     Finally able to speak, Colonel Lennox was going to argue further, that if Galloway hadn't ordered for the two pieces to be separated after giving the Autobots the 'go-ahead' to unite them, they wouldn't be in this position. Alas, he was not able to as the ground rumbled beneath the standing group, forcing them all to step back as it opened up and the human woman who had been swallowed by the Earth was raised up, an air tank and oxygen mask firmly secured to her face. 

     She was deathly pale, but the color was returning to her face already as a small metal creature removed the oxygen mask from her mouth and nose after listening to her breathing. It chirped angrily at the humans trying to come closer, hissing and arching its little spine like a cat. The new life could hardly be considered cat-like however, with six limbs and optics similar to a fly. A black rubber covered its wings, two on either side of its body with the hind pair being smaller. Its stubby tail was formed by a trio of gas mask filters, everyone's theory being confirmed when the metal being transformed to cover the face of Marissa as one of the Diego Garcia issued gas masks. 

     Lennox bent down to pick up the small cube beside her, only to get shocked before his hand could grasp it.

         "He is angry." Starscream stated, forcing the surrounding soldiers to point their attention back at him. 

     The other Cybertronians glanced at the Seeker for only a moment before their attention returned to the brave woman still unconscious. They too understood that their creator was angry, livid even. 

         And rightfully so.