Through Ash and Dust (ROTB)

Chapter 8

Optimus did not say anything as he completed his transformation. Saphira kept her head down as she was fearful of looking up at his face. She did not know what he was thinking right now. He was undoubtedly looking at the injuries she has sustained from the attack. "Well done, Mirage." She flinched a little as Optimus spoke to the younger autobot. "I am pleased you were able to locate and bring the human back here."

Mirage shrugged slightly with a smile. "Ah, well, you know me. I do, do a good job when needed. But..." He glanced at Saphira and saw she was keeping her eyes staring at the ground. "Well...as you can see...she was attacked...I kind of know who it was, but she is very hurt."

"I can see that." Optimus dropped to one knee heavily, making Saphira flinched and glance up briefly before looking back down. "However, what happened is not my concern." He observed the girl silently before he turned to Arcee. "Arcee, have you been able to access the damage to the girl's body?"

Arcee nodded and pressed her hand to the side of her head to bring up a hologram of Saphira's body. "She has multiple bruises and lacerations to her body on her arms, legs, stomach and face. She also appeared to have a cracked rib and a sprain ankle. Whoever attacked he did not aim to kill, but they did make sure she was injured." She turned off the hologram and looked at Optimus. "My guess is she would need to see a human doctor."

Mirage nodded affirmatively. "That is what she said she needs. That way she file a report and get the thugs arrested for..."

"In doing so, she might reveal the existence of us on this planet." Saphira looked up at Optimus with a frown as Optimus's accusation. She quickly shook her head as she did not want him to think that. "I am afraid I do not believe you, human. I do not know what you plan to say, should you go to the police. You might end up just telling them all about us autobots to them."

She shook her head again. "N-No one w-w-would e-e-ever believe me...I...I a-a-am p-pretty much...I a-a-am only important a-a-at work...n-nothing else...s-s-so...non one w-w-will believe me. They w-w-would laugh and t-t-tell me to go to a m-mental hospital." Optimus was still unconvinced as he narrowed his optics at her. "I only w-w-want to get my a-a-attackers charged and p-put in jail."

"Again, you could tell the authorities..."

"Sure, I could." Saphira flinched as Optimus narrowed his optics at her for interrupting him. "But...y-y-y-you d-d-don't even know me, Optimus." She looked down, taking a deep breath as she tried to get herself warm from the cold. "I g-g-get it...y-y-you w-w-want to stay hidden. But...unless y-y-you w-w-want to deal w-w-with me, Mirage's m-mistake, now...I g-g-g-guess I would accept it. M-My l-life isn't that great anyway."

"I do hope you did not mean to say you would kill her when you said that," Mirage said hopefully as Optimus observed the human quietly. "Look, I know the girl better than you. I've observed her this whole time." Optimus turned his head slightly and simply glared at Mirage. "She isn't the type to go around spouting stuff to people. Trust me on this one, Optimus, I know what I am talking about. It is your fault for not wanting to observe and understand humans."

Optimus growled a little and looked back at the girl. He could see she was visibly scared of him, and she was shivering a lot. He pondered on what they should do with her now that she was back. "Fine. I will not cause harm to you, human." Saphira was a tad annoyed he kept calling her human, and not by her name, but she did not interrupt him. "But now you know of our existence. This means we will be watching you closely."

"I-I understand...I w-w-won't run..." Saphira doubted she could run without being tracked somehow anyway. "I just d-d-don't w-w-want to be hurt...I w-w-will listen to you. Um...and I-I w-w-will try to not be a nuisance...I g-g-guess this means I have rules to f-f-follow or something...right?"