"Some people just don't know when to grow up."

Pan and Jack sat on either side of Raf as they watched him do his amazing work.

The young boy was concentrating as he hacked into the website. He removed the picture of Bumblebee and replaced it with a dancing monkey in a top hat, a waist coat that held a cane in his left hand.

"Removing Bumblebee and replacing him with-"

The three high fived as Bumblebee let out a relieved sigh.

"The tap-dancing monkey strikes again," Jack laughed.

Ratchet sighed at the three, "Bumblebee sightings on the world wide web are no laughing matter," he grumbled.

Pan rolled her eyes at him, "Grumpy-bot," she muttered.

"I heard that!"

Pan poked her tongue out at him.

"Wait," Jack said, furrowing his eyebrows at Raf's computer screen, making Pan look back over at the computer, "What's that?"

Raf's eyes narrowed as he zoomed in on the picture, "A Cybertronian escape pod?" He exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Here in Earth's atmosphere?" Ratchet asked, incredulously.

Raf quickly sent the image to the Cybertronian sized computers for them to see.

"Autobot or Decepticon?" Arcee asked the meddic.

Ratchet paused for a nano-click, "Impossible to tell, given the image resolution."

"In any event, this merits investigation," Optimus spoke up.

"Could be a trap," Arcee pointed out, "And we're down one bot. Should we reach out to Wheeljack?"

"I can hear you!" Bulkhead's annoyed voice cut in.

"I don't care if Bulkhead isn't combat-ready," Ratchet stepped in, a scowl on his faceplates, "After that revenge stunt he pulled with Miko, Wheeljack can stay rogue."

Pan winced at the same time Miko did. The Hammer girl's guardian was still pissed off about that.

"An Autobot may be in distress," Optimus said, concluding their arguing, "Ratchet, bring your medical kit."

🌟

The sight of a new Autobot carrying a familiar face, made the four teens eyes widen in shock.

"Hana?"

"Ms. Smith?!?!"

Smokescreen blinked at the teens as he handed Hana over to Ratchet to take a look over, "You know her?'

"She's our art teacher," Raf explained simply for them.

Jack and Pan having rushed over to the Autobot Medic and their art teacher, leaving Miko to grin at the new 'bot.

"We haven't had somebody new here since Wheeljack," Miko commented casually, "What's your story, Smoke? Where'd you come from? How'd you get here? How many blasters you packin'?"

Smokescreen looked uncomfortable as he looked at her, "So, these are the life-force we're supposed to protect?" he glanced at the other Autobots, "Are they all like this?"

"Fortunately not," Ratchet said, having left Hana in his charge's capable hands after determining that the art teacher just needed rest, "But I too share Miko's fascination with how you came to arrive on Earth."

"In a Decepticon escape pod," Arcee added, folding her arms.

"Still got trust issues, huh?" Smokescreen commented, "Tough crowd."

"The main thrust of combat operations was at least 20 clicks from the Hall of Records, so things had been pretty quiet. But the situation went downhill fast. The Cons launched a massive surge that wiped out the last line of defenses surrounding Iacon. I was the only thing left to them back, and, let me tell you, I was pumped," Smokescreen grimaced slightly at the looks Team Prime gave him, "I mean, this was my chance to see real action for the first time to prove myself. Until everything went black. Cons took me prisoner and dumped me onto a transport ship. But I managed to give a guard the slip and hopped in an escape pod. Apparently, it was a long-distance pod, 'cause it knocked me into stasis. Next thing I knew, I'm hitting solid ground hard."

"The Decepticon warship must have picked up pod's beacon and guided it to Earth," Ratchet said, thoughtfully.

"Which would explain Smokescreen's welcoming committee," Arcee added, she chuckled drily, "Bet those Cons were disappointed not to find one of their own inside."

Optimus's optical ridges furrowed, "Smokescreen, do you know of Alpha Trion's fate, after the fall of Iacon?"

No one caught the guilty flash that appeared across Pan's face, "Whoops," she muttered.

Alpha Trion let out a guilty chuckle, "Whoops indeed, Panacea."

"I wish I did," Smokscreen admitted, "But that was the last I ever saw of him. That's it my life story. Not exactly the glory I envisioned for myself until now. Being here with Optimus Prime I knew I was destined for great things. I mean, now that you have help, how hard could it be to end this war?

A cold chill seemed to float around the room as disbelief appeared in optics and eyes.

"Take a good look, Newbie," Bulkhead grunted out as he barely managed to take a couple steps towards them, "This is how hard."

Optimus cleared his throat, "Smokescreen, I would suggest that you take some time to become acclimated to your new surroundings. A tour of the base would be an excellent start."

"Sure thing!" Miko grinned before faltering as her eyes caught the look on her guardian's faceplates, "I mean Jack here offers a very informative tour."

The boy blinked in surprise as Smokescreen turned to look at him, then gave a nervous smile.

🌟

"Hana?"

The Art teacher groaned as her hand flew up towards her head, "How long was I out?" she asked, blinking in surprise when she saw Panacea Hammer sitting next to her.

"Only half an hour or so," Raf's voice said, making the woman turn her head slightly to see the boy watching her.

"You're here, too?" Hana asked, sitting up. Her eyes narrowing at the pair, "Next thing you're going to tell me is that Jack and Miko are too."

Both teens gave her a sheepish look.

"You're kidding me," the woman muttered.

"Nope," Pan said, shaking her head.

The art teacher was shocked, "You're talking now?"

Pan shrugged, "A little."

Hana glanced to Raf who nodded.

"Ah, you're awake," Ratchet's voice said, making the woman look up and gape for a second.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hana facepalmed.

The Autobot medic rose an optical ridge at her as Pan and Raf laughed.

"I snuck a robot into a school dance," Hana groaned, "I'm such an idiot."

At the mention of the dance, cheeks and faceplates blushed as Raf giggled.

🌟

"So when did you start talking again?" Hana asked Pan as the girl gave her a tour of the Autobot base, after she had been explained why the 'bots were there, on Earth.

Pan's green eyes focused on the woman, debating whether or not to tell her. To trust the woman with one of her many secrets.

"You can trust, Pocahontas Smith, young Panacea," Alchemist promised.

Pan nodded slightly to Alchemist, before letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, "My Dad worked with a company called M.E.C.H," She started, Hana looked confused for a second, "M.E.C.H. was run by my uncle, who called himself Silas after his wife, and Logan's mother, died."

Hana was gaping at her now, her eyes wide as she took in the information the girl was willing to share.

Pan's hands signed as she spoke, a habit she had yet to get out of now that she was talking more, "Leland Bishop was his birth name, my mother's birth name is Thalia Bishop. So, Mom got custody of Logan when he turned up half beaten to death one day."

Hana rubbed a hand over her face as she let out a sigh, "I should've known," she muttered.

Pan smiled sadly, "Logan could tell, you know," she said, not fazing when Hana's brown eyes shot up to meet hers.

The Hammer girl reached for the teacher's long sleeved top, being careful to not startle her as she pulled up the top. Old, healed scars lay on Hana's skin, on her lower right arm alone she had at least ten.

Hana quickly grabbed Pan's wrist and the girl let go. The woman's eyes widened at her actions, "Sorry, it's just-"

Pan smiled, "I know," she told the woman calmly.

Then the girl changed the subject quickly, "M.E.C.H. used to be called something different before my aunt died, sucks that all the files regarding the previous name were stolen or had disappeared. I would've like to know more about what they did," she murmured thoughtfully.

Hana had calmed down by then, "What was your Aunt's name?"

Pan chuckled, "You'll think it's a little odd for modern day baby names."

Hana chuckled, "Try me," she challenged, "I'm the one called Pocahontas."

"Athena," Pan said, a soft smile on her face, "Athena Steadfast."

Here's the long awaited Ch.13.
Sorry it took so long. I had a total bust trying to figure out how to finish this chap.(and I have no idea how I'm going to do the next one....)

Yay! Pan's talking, Hana is in the Autobot base, Smokescreen's here, Silver-Ashley cried when writing about Logan's backstory and when Pan revealed Hana's scars.

Logan's mom finally has a name! Yay!
(I have no shame in admitting that I have another book that connected to the WaH/SwG/CotW world that has something in common with Steadfast. Or another book as well....)

All in all, this chapter was a rather revealing chapter.

Hope you enjoyed!
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