By: Tor

Time was running out. Ami could feel it. Not only was her dad constantly humming the ‘Hear Comes the Bride’, but Conner was trying harder than usual to touch and kiss Ami. The bonding was ten times worse because Ami had fallen head over heels in love with Speed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get him off her mind.

“Dad, for the ten zillionth time, shut up!” Ami snapped. Her dad stopped humming, and busied himself with making lunch.

“So Ami,” Ayron said, his back turned toward her, “are you excited?”

“For what?” Ami asked dully.

“Your bonding, you silly goose,” Ayron chirped happily.

“‘Silly goose’? Where do you get these stupid phrases, Dad?” Ami avoided the question.

“Humans use it,” Ayron said quickly. Then he turned to face Ami, “Don’t tell me you’re not excited.”

“I am super excited actually.”

Ayron’s eyes widened in surprise, “Really?”

“For the Deep Space Exploration?” Ami was pleased to see her dad’s face fall, “Yeah, totally,” she continued, “I heard all you have to do is sign up in Haxe, then you can get off this stupid ball of tin foil.”

“Ami, don’t talk like that,” Ayron said scolding her.

“Like what?” she asked innocently.

“Like that,” Ayron frowned.

“Oh, like this… Go slag yourself, Dad!” Ami shouted, then returned to her regular tone, “Is that what you meant?” And she stormed out of the kitchen, then out the front door.

Ami froze when she saw Speed standing in front of her house. He looked up, well, down at her. He didn’t look happy.

Ami felt her mech-fluid rise to her face. “Hi,” she said. Why did she have to blush now? Why?

“Hello,” he said shortly. His feet shifted uncomfortably, and his crimson optics avoiding her steady gaze.

Ami had one chance to say something interesting and blew it saying, “So, the weather has been nice.”

Speed dropped his awkward attitude by raising an eye ridge, “Yeah, real nice.”

Ami blushing furiously now, changed the subject. “Er, Speed, you know that kiss?” Ami asked tentatively. Speed’s stony expression returned and he nodded curtly. “Well, it-”

“Should not have happened,” Speed interrupted, no hint of a joking smile or trace of sarcasm.

“Wha-?” Ami stepped backward, twinge of pain split her spark.

“I cannot and do not love you. It was wrong… I am sorry,” Speed looked away from her again.

Ami’s optics began to sting with tears, but she managed to hold them back. She forced one word past the lump in her throat, “Why?”

“ I-” Speed began. The front door opened and Ayron stuck his head out.

“Ami, I can’t-” Ayron began, looking sternly at her. Then he caught sight of Speed. His optics widened with surprise and gear. He stepped forward.

“Dad,” Ami said. She was unsure if her father’s reaction was good or bad, “it’s okay.”

“Get behind me!” Ayron shoved Ami behind him, and shielded her from Speed. It was definitely a bad reaction.

“Dad!” Ami yelled, trying to push him off of her. Ayron ignored her. She had never seen her dad like this, sure she had seen him alarmed and angry, but never aggressive and physical.

“Get away from my daughter,” he snarled at Speed, who hadn’t moved. “Don’t you dare try to hurt my daughter.” Ayron drew a gun from his subspace pocket.

“Stop! Dad!” Ami screamed. Ayron shoved her backward, and she fell to the ground inside the house. Her dad had never done anything that might hurt her either, he had always made sure nothing hurt her.

From her low vantage point, Ami watched as Speed drew his sword. It was a wicked blade, gleaming silver in the setting sun. Ami’s fluid pump began to pound faster.

“Do not try to fight me, Maximal,” Speed growled, gripping his sword tighter.

“You tried to kill my daughter!” Ayron waved his gun threateningly at Speed.

“I did not.”

“Liar,” hissed Ayron. He fired his gun, a red glowing ball rocketed toward Speedstrike.

Speed sidestepped easily, and his sword flashed through the air. Ayron howled as he clutched a slash through his chest. Mech-fluid seeped through his fingers, dripping onto the pavement. Ami couldn’t watch, she shut off her optics. She heard someone take a step away from her, then the clash of metal on metal. Her dad grunted in pain, then his gun went off again. Speed’s voice gave a surprised yelp.

Ami crawled back into the house, leaving Speed and Ayron to fight. She found the phone on one of the couch. She dialed a three-digit number.

“Hello, 911 emergency. What’s the situation?” a calm voice asked.

“My dad, he’s hurt!” Ami choked out. Tears flooded down her cheeks. Speed’s rebuff of her love, her dad finding out she was talking to Speed, and now they were fighting each other. It was just too much.

“Calm down,” the voice said soothingly. “Where is he?”

“Outside m-my house, he was fighting Sp- a Predacon.”

“I’m sending an ambulance right now.”

“Thank you,” Ami said, wiping away her tears, trying to get rid of the picture her processor was creating: Her dad kneeling on the ground, a pool of mech-fluid of surrounding him, Speed raised a bloodied sword…

“NO!” Ami burst out the front door. Speed looked at her, stopped in mid-thrust, sword point halting inches away from her dad’s chest. Ayron whipped up his gun, and fired.

Speed was knocked backward onto the street, his chest blackened and dented. He groaned, and lay still.

“Ami,” Ayron whipped around, snarling like a starved wolf, mech-fluid dripping from his chest, “what the slag were you doing with a Predacon?!”

She backed away from her dad, toward Speed. She felt small and defenseless. In the distance, she heard sirens.

“I-I…”

“You what, young lady?” Ayron moved closer to her, voice trembling with rage. “I’ve tried to keep you safe, but again and again you disobey me!”

“I’m sorry!” Ami whimpered, stumbling as her foot hit Speed’s arm.

“You should be!” Ayron roared, grabbing his daughter, just as an ambulance and two police cars drove up. “It's Predacons,” Ayron spat the word, “that caused your mother's de-” he choked on the word.

With the screech of tires, cars braked and transformed, the two police grabbing Speedstrike and placing power bonds onto his wrists and legs.

“Sir, I need you to come with me,” the medic said, gently pulling Ayron toward the street.

“Not until I talk with my daughter,” Ayron growled, jerking out of the medic’s grasp and yanking Ami inside the house before the medic could object.

Ami squirmed against her father’s iron grip, but couldn’t get away. They got into the living room. Ayron closed the door, then faced Ami. Mech-fluid dribbled from his chest, but he crossed his arms and put on an expression of forced calm.

“Why were you with that Predacon?”

“I-” Ami couldn’t think of a decent lie, so she gulped and blurted, “I love him!”

SMACK! Ami felt herself slam into the wall. Hard. She slid down, pieces of the wall crashing on her head and the taste of mech-fluid in her mouth. When her vision came back into focus, she saw her dad, staring from his outstretched hand to Ami. He took a step towards Ami, looking horrified.

“Don’t! Get away from me!” Ami shouted, unsheathing the blades on her hand. One hand on the wall for support, she stood up. Ayron stopped.

“Ami, I-”

“Get AWAY from me!” Ami repeated, voice trembling, clenching her hands into fists.

Ayron turned and practically ran outside, where the medic was waiting.

Ami wobbled out the door. The medic and her dad, no, he wasn’t her dad, Ayron were gone. One of the cops had transformed into a blue and white car, Speed slumped in the back seat, while one addressed Ami.

“Ma’am, you assisted in capturing a dangerous Predacon,” Ami flinched as the cop put particular emphasis on the word, “criminal. So,” he said, patting her on the back, “I am honored to give you this cash reward.” he handed Ami a bag brimming with bills in stacks of $500.

“Thanks,” she muttered. Ami felt sick. Speed was under arrest and it was all her fault. She looked at Speed. He had regained consciousness. He glared at Ami, clearly he agreed with her.

The police officer obviously was done with her, because he had transformed as well, and the two cops sped off, taking Speed with them.

After a cycle of just standing, Ami decided she needed to make things right with Speed, but she need away to get their fast…

“Conner, stop touching me!” Ami snapped.

“Aw, but Snuggly-Poof!” complained Conner, trying to catch her hand.

“Touch me again, I swear, I will hurt you,” threatened Ami. She had called Conner, and he had picked her up in his white limo, which would take her to the Meta City Prison.

“Oh, I love when you play hard to get!” Conner cried happily.

“Overdrive?” Ami asked the car, who was a Maximal in vehicle mode. “Are we there yet?”

The white limo accelerated slightly, “Almost, Miss Ami.”

Ami tapped the door handle impatiently.

“What’s the hurry, Babe?” Conner asked, his hand creeping sneakily toward her thigh. She grabbed it, and he declared triumphantly, “You do wanna hold hands!”

She began to squeeze his hand, crushing in the metal, before releasing it, “I don’t think so.”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Conner looked at his deformed hand. He didn’t bother her for the rest of the trip.

The Meta City Prison was an evil building, high wall lined with Energon charged spikes. The building itself was tall, scraping the sky with its black towers. Celled windows were dimly lit and painful yells echoed from the building.

Ami took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and walked into Prison. Maximal police officers with white and blue torso plates filled the entrance room. Some where filing papers behind desks, while others leaned on the walls, chatting unconcernedly and munching on doughnuts.

She spotted the bot who had arrested Speed and given her her reward. She walked up to him, the optics of the other officers following her curiously.

“Hello, little lady,” the cop recognized her and smiled kindly.

“Hi,” Ami replied politely. “I have a huge favor to ask, can I see Speedstrike?”

“Well, he’s not allowed to have visitors…”

“I am not a visitor,” Ami thought fast, “I need to give that Predacon criminal,” Ami echoed the words the cop had used, “a piece of my mind. He-he…er…practically murdered my dad!” Ami was pretty pleased with her lie, but a little sick with the prejudice.

The cop bought it, “Alright, little lady, I’ll show you to his cell.”

The hallway was dark with closed doors, most likely hiding a Predacon from view. The Maximal police rarely ever arrested a Maximal if they could help it. Ami’s footsteps echoed dolefully around her. Finally, they arrived at a door marked ‘High Security’. Two surly guards stood in the shadows, their blazing black optics glaring out of the darkness.

“Give her ten cycles,” the cop told the guards. The one on the right nodded, his partner frowned down on Ami. The cop typed in a long password into a console bolted onto the wall. Ami heard several locks click as they unlocked and the door slid open with a menacing hiss.

“Just knock on the door if you wanna get out,” the cop said.

Ami stepped into the room, and the door closed behind her with the same threatening hiss.

Dimly pulsing bars split the cell in two. The visitor’s area had a hard steel chair, while the actual cell had a lonely bench that served as a seat and bed. A barred window let a sliver of moonlight into the otherwise dark, gloomy room. Speedstrike was sitting in on the bench, his head in his hands.

Speed looked up at the sound of Ami’s footsteps, “An-? Oh, it is you.”

Ami ignored Speed’s less-than-warm, he was in prison after all.

“Speed,” she noticed her voice sounded breathless, “I am so sorry.”

“You should be,” growled Speed, red optics flashing.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen!” she pleaded, going up to the bars that separated her from Speed.

“Really? So you ‘didn’t mean’ to call your police?!” Speed roared, standing up, and striding to the bars of the cell. He jabbed a finger at her, “Megs was right! You’re just a stupid, blasted Maximal!”

“No, Speed! I-I…” Ami had to unburden herself, and continued firmly, “I love you.”

Speedstrike sat down on the ground, optics off, looking like he was trying to wish away the situtation. The silence was palpable.

Ami waited with bated breath, half-dreading half-anticipating his response.

Finally Speed looked up at her, “I do not love you.”

Ami felt like she had no internal systems at all. Suddenly she burst into tears, and knocked on the door to let the guards know she wanted to get out. Now positively bawling, Ami ran through the open door, right into another bot. Ami landed on her back. Sniffing slightly, she looked up. A tall, willowy femme looked coldly down at her. The femme’s optics were a bright, emerald green, and her body work was a deep, wine red and a velvety black. Ami noted the Predacon symbol was emblazoned on her right arm.

Ami picked herself up, brushed past the femme, and sprinted outside.

Overdrive, Conner’s chauffeur, was waiting for her. She got into the limo, but Conner wasn’t there.

Overdrive explained his employer’s absence, “He went in after some femme or other, ma’am.”

“I don’t care,” Ami snapped, hugging her knees to her chest. “Just take me to Haxe.”

“But Ma’am-”

“Do it!” Ami shouted. Overdrive obligided and he rolled smoothly away from the prison.

Ami had always thought that a sparkache was an expression, but now she thought different. With every thump of her fluid-pump, her spark experienced a dull pain, as if someone had stabbed it with a blunt knife. Silent tears ran down her cheeks, and Ami closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pain.

She must have drifted into stasis, because Ami jerked awake.

"We're here Miss," Overdrive said gently.

Ami woke to the sound of Overdrive’s soft voice. She stretched happily for a moment, before the memories of the past mega-cycles crashed down on her.

“Thank you, Overdrive,” Ami said gratefully, and climbed out of the car.

Overdrive’s engine rumbled gently, “No trouble, Ma’am. Now, I better get going, Master Conner won’t thank me for leaving.”

“I’m sorry,” Ami looked at her feet, she hadn’t though about the trouble Overdrive would get into if he abandoned his employer in a prison.

“Don’t worry, Miss Ami. Good luck,” Overdrive said kindly, then he made a smooth U-turn and rolled down the empty street, out of sight.

“Goodbye,” Ami said quietly. Now she was really alone, in a strange city. Haxe was beautiful city, a utopia for clever scientists, famous celebrities, and important politicians. It was a Predacon-free city, which meant only upper-class lived there. The buildings had a well-cared for look, no graffiti marring their walls and the sidewalks were devoid of litter. Polished streetlamps shed their warm glow onto the pavement. The building directly in front of her was an office building, tall, with hundreds of windowed rooms. In the front window a poster said, ‘Sign Ups for DSE inside.’

Ami pushed open the door. Just like the rest of the city the room was clean, pristine, and perfect. It was set up like a waiting room. White chairs were lined against the walls, which gleamed from the steady light coming from ceiling lights. A pair of elevator doors were set to the left of a steel desk. A harried-looking femme was shuffling through a bunch of papers behind the shining desk.

Ami approached her slowly, “…Um, hi.”

The femme glanced up, studying Ami with orange optics, “You must be a new volunteer. The cosmetics lab is on the fifth floor.” She went back to sorting through her papers.

“No, I actually wanted to sign up for DSE,” said Ami uncertainly, fiddling with her fingers.

The femme didn’t look up, “Don’t make me laugh. The next exploration mission doesn’t begin for a few stellar-cycles. Besides, you need a résumé, and by the look of you, you’re just a child.”

“Please, just tell me what floor the sign-ups are on,” Ami pleaded.

The femme gave an exasperated sigh, “I don’t have time for this! .......Fine,” she gave in, scribbling on sheet of paper, then typing rapidly on a keyboard. “Go to floor seventeen. Ask for Malachite and Ajax… if they haven’t gone home yet.”

Ami nodded once, then took the elevator to the seventeenth floor. She exited the elevator. The room was full of shining metal and complicated-looking machines. Two other bots stood talking comfortably to each other. One was big, green with a friendly smile, the other was short, but had a air of cocky confidence about him.

The green one noticed her first, “Hi. Are you looking for somebot?”

Ami started, “Oh, yeah. Are you Malachite?”

“Yes, but you can call me Mal,” Mal shook her hand warmly.

Ami looked at the other bot, “Then you have to be Ajax?”

“Yeah, the one and only,” Ajax puffed out his chest.

“I’m Ami, I wanna join the crew for DSE.”

There was a pause, then Ajax laughed, “Good one, sista, ya had me goin’ for a cycle.”

“I’m serious!” Ami frowned. Why was everyone giving her a hard time?

“Ami, is it?” Mal asked and Ami nodded. “You have to be skilled in some kind of field to sign onto the crew. Plus, we do have age restrictions.”

“Please!” Ami didn’t- couldn’t think of life if she didn’t escape. She would live in hate and fear of her dad, or worse be put into an run-down orphanage. She took out her reward from the police officer. “You can have all this money! Just let me sign on!”

“Dis isn’t a bad deal…” Ajax trailed off, looking at Mal.

Mal sighed, “It isn’t a good idea, but…” Mal looked pityingly at Ami’s desperate face, “I suppose so.”

“Alright,” Ajax said happily, “Let’s fire ‘er up.” He started typing in codes and pushing buttons. A silver-lay down scanner started to hum.

Mal explained, “What will happen is you will lay down in the scanner, then we will remove your spark from your body-”

“What?!” Ami yelped in alarm.

“Don’t worry,” Mal said soothingly, “we promise your spark will be fine. So back to the process, your body will be wiped of your current robot mode. Once your wiped, you’ll be like a blank. Then we will replace your spark into the protoform and we seal you into a stasis pod. Once the ship has landed, you’ll be reactivated. You’ll be able to adapt to the new environment and get a new mode.”

“Okay,” Ami said, a little uncertain.

“She’s all ready for da wipin’” Ajax said, patting the scanner.

“Are you ready?” Mal asked.

Ami looked down at her hands. She remembered Speedstrike, Vix, Janette, Devina, Ayron, and her whole world. Could she really leave them behind? Then she remembered Conner, the forced bonding, Speed’s rejection, and felt the pain in her spark.

“Yes, I’m ready,” Ami laid down in the scanner. The lid closed, and darkness pressed in around her. She was leaving everything behind.

The End?