She remembered her final stay at a sanctuary. The broadcasts flickered to life.

"People of Cybertron. The war is over. There is no need to hide anymore..."

The new leader of the planet, Sentinel Prime, announced his plans of building cities underground.

How long has she remained hidden? Did day turn to night anymore?

Underground cities? Will she ever see first light again?

~~

Iacon

A metropolis rebuilt with the glory it once had on the Surface. Sentinel Prime decided to reside there in honor of his fellow Primes.

Work. The work of civilians built the modern Iacon. It was rich in culture and resources. Work. An opportunity for her to restart her life. She lost many things, but now she is determined to work for a fresh start.

The Golden Tower overlooks the city. She passed by it every day on her way to her mentor. "Talent," he told her, "talent is what makes the future of a person. Discover it, and use it to your full potential. That is what makes a successful future."

Coordinating. Navigation. Mapmaking. She learned it all. Her purpose, she thought. Her talent. True talent noticed by both mentor and peers.

One day, she received an offer to work with the Prime himself! She was overjoyed, bidding her mentor appreciation and goodbyes, and left.

"Should you ever want to return in need of assistance, I will be waiting..."

Indeed. When she accessed the full potential of her ingenuous gift, it brought her a future she did not ever think would happen.

A successful future. A new light...

¿¿¿

--

Her current focus was getting to the tower as quickly as possible. Y/n flew strategically past buildings and civilians to get right across the city. To her, the world was silent. In reality, it was a regular day for everyone.

"Sentinel is heading back now."

"It shouldn't take too long, would it?"

She saw the tower in the distance. Her hopes are accelerating. Perhaps she got there before he did. No troopers were around. There were no guards at the tower, none at least she could see.

She entered the headquarters through the main entrance. She transformed, landing on the ground as quietly as she could. No one around. No guards.

She looked around. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Uncomfortable.

...

Where was everybody?

Y/n approached Sentinel's desk. She peered at her reflection on it. What was her expression?

What was she supposed to feel?

All she felt was shock. Wanting to forget. How could one display these feelings?

Pedsteps were heard from the hallway behind her. They were familiar.

Sentinel?

...

The pedsteps stopped.

She turned her helm over her shoulder. Sentinel stared back at her.

...

He approached her, his servos behind his back. He looked at her up and down, disappointment in his optics.

Y/n slowly turned back to the reflection on the desk. Fear. Hope tossed away. Hope was nothing. Hope was lost.

He knows...

He stopped in front of her and gripped her shoulder, making her jump.

"My love, you seem tense..." He leaned his faceplate to her neck. Y/n held her breath as she felt his gaze up at her.

"Why are you afraid, hm?"

No words left her mouth. What could she say? She shut her optics and looked over her opposite shoulder.

Sentinel noticed this. She knew.

He lifted his helm and grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him.

"Why don't you answer me?"

Y/n tried to back away, but he pulled her closer.

"It would be easier for both of us if you responded." he sighed, "Very well, I'll answer for you."

In his other servo, he held the datapad, behind it, a blade.

A blade?

The datapad...

Y/n widened her optics. She was supposed to work on it, wasn't she?

"The apprentice never received it back," Sentinel began, letting go of Y/n, "it's not finished. You were doing something else."

He threw the datapad on the desk. Y/n clenched her teeth at the loud thud of the datapad hitting it.

She looked down at the floor, shame flooding her. Sentinel walked to the opposite side of the desk. The silence made Y/n want to be swallowed by the ground.

Airachnid appeared at the corner of her vision. She lifted her gaze towards her. She carried something over her shoulder.

Or, more like someone.

...

Alpha Trion.

Airachnid threw him on the floor, and he struggled to look up. Y/n gasped. Sentinel turned to the Prime and grinned.

"Alpha Trion! You're still alive," he approached him. "You look...horrible."

Alpha Trion craned his neck toward him, "Traitor. You are a disgrace! A disgrace to your spouse, may Primus be with her--He will surely--"

"Uh-huh. Yes. Shut up. I seized an opportunity to take control of my future. Anything to get out of working for you and that boring council of elders. Seriously--I would watch you Primes spend half the day losing a war and the other half sitting around waxing poetic about loyalty and honor--and now look at you."

Y/n felt lightheaded.

This is my fault.

Alpha Trion continued, "Hear my words: you will fall. And a new Prime will rise-"

Annoyed, Sentinel held his blade against the Prime's throat.

"There you go again. I don't want to listen to any more speeches..."

As Y/n watched them, she felt Airachnid's gaze on her.

"Besides my beauteous spouse, there were others in the cave with you--who were they?"

"They are to be your undoing," The Prime struggled, "You've lost, Sentinel. Nothing you can do-"

Vexed, Sentinel raised his blade and stabbed it into the Prime's neck.

Y/n yelped, putting her servos over her mouth to stop herself from crying out.

Sentinel imitated a pout as he surveyed what remained of Alpha Trion.

The conversation between Sentinel and Airachnid was overtaken by silence for Y/n. She held her servos over her mouth tighter as she cried quietly.

...

"Hunt down the others..."

...

"With pleasure..." Airachnid transformed and flew off, leaving Sentinel and Y/n to speak among themselves.

The sky was slowly getting darker.

Sentinel heard Y/n's muffled sobs and approached her, putting his blade on the desk.

"You know, dove, your intellect impresses me. It always has."

She got tired of crying, and Y/n lifted her faceplate from her servos and stared at Alpha Trion's severed head some steps in front of her.

A faint beeping was heard in her forearm.

The disc.

Sentinel grabbed her forearm and forced the storage compartment open. Y/n screamed at the sudden pain.

Y/n gaped at her forearm as Sentinel took the disc out.

He turned the beacon on.

The surface. No sign of a Prime's spark.

There were smaller symbols, yellow. Pulsating.

Signs of life. On the surface. All in a single area.

...

"This time, it seemed to have failed you..." he continued, letting go of her forearm.

Y/n saw the hologram descend back into the disc, and images of Alpha Trion's dust hologram flashed through her mind.

Sentinel turned to her and lifted her chin, "do you remember the other one? The one you left in your office?"

She stayed quiet, trying to remember what he spoke about.

...

The disc.

...

The original one. To keep for listing.

She left it there in plain sight.

No one was supposed to know.

...

Y/n widened her optics in realization. Sentinel lifted one of the corners of his lips and leaned closer.

Who has it?

"I know I've told you this millions of times," he said gently, "but you're so beautiful..."

Y/n reached for his wrist in an attempt to push his arm back. His faceplate was mere inches away from hers.

"Especially when you gain a sense of hindsight..."

Hindsight.

He kissed her.

She stood still, not daring to move.

After a few seconds, he backed up, frowning.

Silent, he retreated, leaving her alone in the headquarters.

...

Who has it?

The sky has darkened, only illuminated by city lights.

Right now, all that stood out was Alpha Trion. Dead.

Weeping, Y/n sat on the floor and hugged her legs.

The strange, comforting sight was the Prime's severed head.

A loud crash was heard from the hallway in which her office was.

Finally, before recharging for the night, Y/n heard Airachnid's familiar whirring outside the tower.

:3