Y/n gawked at the exit of the two friends, and her wonder got to her completely. She cautiously approached it; more debris fell from the ceiling. In the distance, B and Orion make their way into the city, the road behind them disappearing. Her servo reached for a pillar beside her; the other reached for her parted lips. The breeze brushed against her frame--quick and cooling. Its hums simultaneous with the sounds of the mechs clashing at each other.

An urge to get closer to the balcony's railing came to her. The sound of her pedes dragging against the metal floor felt louder in her audials as if she was the only one making noise. The railing gleamed--gold under light. A servo grappled onto it; the other had digits pressed against her lips. She had a feeling. She surveyed the city. Something would happen. She waited.

Suddenly, holograms all over the city appeared, their soft blue light descended upon every building. The holograms used for Sentinel's public announcements.

...

"Attention, Iacon City--please stand by for a live transmission from Sentinel Prime." The voice boomed throughout the city as the holograms continued to pulsate. Below her, she saw confused civilians redirect their questioning gazes from the tower to the holograms in front of them. Y/n continued to focus on the holograms.

Sentinel continued his attacks on D. He knocked the grey bot to the floor, dust swirling around both of them. Sentinel slammed his pede on D's cannon, making him grunt in pain.

"What's wrong, D-16? Rise up," Sentinel mocked, grinning behind his mask. D tries to stand but suddenly stops when Sentinel points his blaster at him.

The holograms then began to display footage of who Sentinel truly was.

"That's why after I killed him...I took his cog for myself." Y/n watched the recording with a frown.

"Is this really what you want?" He told her as she dragged her pedes to the ends of the City. Thousands of civilians were being led to underground tunnels. Shouting and weeping. Then, the stern skeptic's voice she grew up with.

She couldn't stay here. She shouldn't.

"What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests? Forced you to mine to pay off the Quientessons and live like a king? -'--'-'-" The final part, static. Redacted. Is there any importance in that?

Within the crowd, she stood silent. Shame swallowed her as her sire glared at her from the entrance of the City. Rust colored the sky; it rained rust. Buildings corroded. How could anyone stay there?

"I should've known you'd grow foolish, Y/n. I'm ashamed of you..."

She turned back to the tunnel; officials ushered in waves of people. The crowd became smaller. All eyes were on her.

"You're no longer my daughter. I feel you must be proud of that..."

He turned around and left.

The recording of Sentinel kneeling to the leader of the Quientessons shocked everyone even more. Gasps. Insults. Curses. All were heard underneath the balcony Y/n stood on. All she could do was freeze, mouth agape, her optics wide in terror.

Sentinel paused after he heard his voice and looked over at the city's view in front of him. Holograms and screens displayed the same recordings. Horror displayed on his optics, he removes his pede from D's chest plate and transforms back into his regular mode. He walks over to the view, and the recordings continue.

Y/n didn't notice the switch of recording, the truth of Sentinel's alliance with the Quientessons replayed in her mind. A strange feeling, but she'd felt it before. A sight one could never unsee again, regret. Guilt. A desperate feeling to rip their memories apart. Start over.

"I'm working my miners as hard as I can-- I swear I'll get you the rest..."

Her feelings swallowed her, and she felt sick.

I trusted you. The only light in my confused world. I put it out. 

Or was it you?

Sentinel watched from his place; the holograms were still up. His spark accelerated, and panic escaped his mouth as his breath harmonized with the thumping of his spark. He knew the city's reaction, and everyone was against him. The false savior. His only focus was on the future, what would they do to him?

What Y/n thought? That was unimportant.

She was gone to him.

Yet, Sentinel remained in her mind. How could she ever forget about him? A traitor's act of kindness is never forgotten. It replays in one's heart-- but then it turns out this way. A traitor never leaves the mind.

D stood up, clutching his shoulder, his teeth clenched. He turned over his shoulder to see Y/n, her arms swayed at her sides. Moving as if she were about to be tipped over. Quiet crying. Servos clenched. She wanted to stop. Why should she be crying over someone who never truly cared for her?

Or perhaps the feeling of shouldering so much gets too heavy.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Though, he remembered she'd done nothing to prevent Sentinel from his ideas.

D turned back in front of him, and the sight of Sentinel hyperventilating angers him further. He charged at him, knocking both of them off the tower.

Y/n heard this and turned around. She rushed to wear Sentinel previously stood and looked down to see the mechs. Civilians looked at them in shock as Sentinel tried to attack D off of him. More curious civilians gawked up at the tower and then at Y/n. Some glared at her. She shot glances at all of them, then turned her gaze back to the mechs in the distance.

Below her, civilians froze in place; some ran after one another to see what was going on. Others looked back up at her, wondering if she was going to do anything.

The stares were pressuring, and she decided she was going to see what had happened next. She also felt worried. Worry?

The scene of Sentinel's alliance with Quientessons continued to replay in her mind. Alpha Trion's words returned to her.

This didn't feel real. 

Stop denying it.

...

It wasn't. Time is cruel, and it doesn't get any better with major events. Too fast or too slow. Life is never the same again. Y/n felt she should've known that by now.