I sat perched on the yellow chair in the Autobot base's human area in deep thought. My fingers absentmindedly twirled a lock of my scarlet hair as my eyes were fixed on my phone. The screen displayed the ominous text that had shaken me earlier in the day. I chewed my lip, deep in thought, as my mind spun through possibilities.

"Who could have sent this?" I mused to myself. The message had hinted at knowledge about my unique abilities and seemed to hold a threat against me and the Autobots. The idea that someone knew about my powers was disconcerting enough, but the notion that they might pose a danger to the Autobots, my targets, was even more unsettling.

Who was behind the text? Why had they done it? It just didn't make any sense. I looked around the silo, eyes darting from every bot to every human. Sure, these guys were like acquaintances, but they didn't know about the existence of my powers so surely none of them could've sent the text.

No one except Wheeljack, that is.

Quickly, I assessed the room to look for Wheeljack, spotting him leaning in a corner, meticulously polishing his gleaming katanas. His gaze was sharp and focused on the shiny pieces of weaponry that glimmered in his optics, carefully polishing the blade from the tip all the way back up.

Suspicion crept back into my thoughts. Wheeljack was the only person, or should I say car, that caught the use of my powers at point-blank range, back when I didn't know what his true identity was. In his car mode, he could've caught my face, and back when I saved his metal ass several nights ago on that midnight-robo-magic-showdown, Wheeljack could've also spotted me wielding them. I stared daggers at my so-called guardian since my best guess was that he had pretty much everything to do with the text.

Then again, the text mentioned something about Autobot protectors, which I basically was in the custody of as of this moment. The Autobots wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone, I was sure of that.

It made me slightly guilty of knowing how much I'd hurt them when this mission commenced, but I pushed all those thoughts aside and instead tried digging deeper into the mystery text fiasco, chiding myself for even considering Wheeljack as a potential suspect. Pulling out my phone, I opened the texting app and pulled up the unknown caller's texts. Scrolling through them, I assessed each speech bubble and read over the texts again and again. 

Watch out, Praxina Chenkov. Beware. We're coming for you.

Your doom. 

Your Autobot protectors won't be able to shield you forever. And neither will your powers.

It seemed pretty legitimate, nothing but a wake-up call to remind me that this indeed was no accident.

Whoever had sent me those texts was probably someone I didn't know.

The sleeper agent side of me started kicking in as I tried to do a mental investigation on who sent me such strange texts and why. The bots were clearly out of the question. And Jack, Miko, and Raf obviously had nothing to do with it since I had all their contacts. Someone from school maybe?

I pondered on the thought for some time, taking trips down memory lane in hopes that I'd catch something I missed. Even after a month of going to school, I didn't know anyone but Jack, Miko, and Raf, and I guess now that Vince kid counted too. Vince. The guy was too proud to even want to involve himself in all of this, Jack even said it himself. I remember him telling me a brief story about a time when he went street racing with the blowhard and he ended up in enemy hands, knocked out by a Decepticon named Knockout, simply because Knockout mistook Vince for Bumblebee's charge.

If Vince hadn't been out that long, he would've discovered the Autobots' existence and god knows how he'd react. But for now, it was safe to say that Vince wasn't to be considered, and probably no one at school. Even though the person behind the text was a mystery, I vowed to uncover the truth soon, and possibly exact my reven-

"Hey there, Ember," 

Just as I was lost in the depths of my contemplation, the gentle hum of an engine and the soft thud of metal footsteps approached. I looked up to see Arcee, her sleek blue form reflecting the ambient light. The femme bot regarded me with a concerned expression, a hint of worry in her azure optics. 

Arcee's voice carried genuine concern. "You seem a million miles away. Is everything okay?"

My heart raced, caught off guard by the unexpected interruption. Then, I scrambled to hide my phone screen and cleared my throat, forcing a smile. "Oh, hey Arcee. Yeah, everything's fine. Just...thinking about school stuff, you know?"

Arcee's optics studied me for a moment longer, as if attempting to discern any hidden truths. I held my gaze, my stomach twisting uncomfortably under the scrutiny, but forcing myself to remain composed. 

Finally, Arcee's lips curved into a reassuring smile. "Alright then, just remember we're here if you need to talk, okay? Don't keep things bottled up."

I barely nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude toward the femme. "You got it, 'Cee. Thanks."

Arcee nodded back before she turned to leave, her footsteps fading as she moved deeper into the base. I released a pent-up breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and turned my attention back to the phone. I realized that I needed to be careful, to protect both myself and the Autobots, only so I could gather more information about them and slay them by my hand.

Sighing, I decided to go stroll around the base to clear my head. From the mission I'd been sent to carry out for ten years to this mysterious text dilemma, things were getting really stressful and tiring and I was seriously losing my sanity over this stuff. I pocketed my phone, jogging down the stairs in search of Jack, Miko, and Raf. Sitting at base and thinking all day was obviously boring, so I needed something to do, see what my acquaintances were up to.

I roamed the dark halls of the base, passing humongous storage units, quarters, and other rooms. 

As I rounded a corner, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a jarring shift in my surroundings. The metallic walls of the Autobot base seemed to melt away, replaced by the harsh concrete walls of a grim cell.

There I was, a young girl, shackled and bruised, frail and terrified. I was confined to a cold and unforgiving cell. The harsh memories came rushing back like a torrent, the searing pain of the past threatening to engulf my present reality. I felt the weight of the pain and fear I'd experienced, the sound of harsh orders and the cruel laughter of my captors still ringing in my ears.

Men covered in the Russian coat of arms and Soviet heraldry stood over me, their faces masked by cruelty. They shouted orders and demands, their voices a constant reminder of the torment I had endured. The training I had been subjected to was nothing short of brutal – a relentless regimen of physical and mental endurance designed to mold me into a weapon.

Flashes of the past played out before my eyes, each one a stark reminder of the life I had left behind. The grueling training sessions, the relentless drills, the agony of being tested beyond my limits, all in preparation for a future I had never asked for. And amidst it all, the flicker of my extraordinary powers, a chaotic maelstrom of crimson energy that I struggled to control.

As abruptly as the memories had invaded my thoughts, they receded, leaving me standing in the present once more. I blinked rapidly, eyes stinging with unshed tears, breath uneven. I clenched my fists, feeling the residual heat of my powers tingling at my fingertips. A sigh of frustration escaped my lips as I cursed the strength of my emotions, knowing that they had once again stirred my latent abilities to life.

My mind flashed to scenes of grueling exercises, long hours of combat training, and the seemingly endless trials I had endured. I could feel the weight of every blow, every word of degradation, etched into my memory, a past that had scarred my soul and left me wary of forming connections.

With a determined shake of my head, I willed my turbulent powers to retreat, banishing the fiery red chaos magic that had begun to swirl around my eyes and arms. I straightened my posture, my resolve strengthening as I continued my search for my friends.

Moments later, I stumbled upon a bare open dark room, where Jack, Miko, and Raf were gathered around a computer screen, their expressions a mix of fascination and disbelief.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I stepped closer to see what was capturing their attention without attracting attention. After all that had happened just now, I didn't feel like talking. As I inched closer to the big computer screen, to my surprise, the website they were browsing was filled with wild conspiracy theories and supernatural claims. But before I could react, my phone buzzed and I scrambled to check it. That's when a frown tugged at my lips. Another text, from the same unknown caller. 

You should probably check your phone. 

Instantly, I texted back, receding anger growing in the heat of the moment. 

What do you mean? 

I glared at the speech bubble with the '...' before a message popped up in its place. 

Haven't you heard? The media loves you. 

The media? The hell was this person talking about? 

"Ember, what are you doing here?" Jack noticed my presence, and Miko and Raf shared the same perplexed expression he had.

Caught off guard, my heart skipped a beat, and panic surged through my veins. I couldn't let them see what I was capable of—those mysterious glowing orbs of magic that had always been a part of my life. Staring right back at me on the computer screen was a girl with red hair and an air of otherworldly power, that was blurred by the light but was passably clear. With a pleading look, I locked eyes with Raf, hoping he would understand my silent plea to delete some random image of me with glowing orbs of chaos in my hands standing outside a store in the middle of the night.

I've seen him work his magic on scrubbing images and replacing them with other files, surely he could do that again, because in this particular case, I couldn't bear looking at it a moment more. 

Raf, sensing my distress, quickly closed the browser tab and pulled up a different photo on the screen. Confusion clouded his face as he did as I asked, replacing the evidence of his discovery. I let out a shaky breath. Unable to bear the weight of the situation any longer, my anxiety consumed me, and I turned away, darting toward a dark corner of the base. My head raced with questions, and my breathing became rapid as I tried to regain composure. 

As I crouched in the shadows, my mind filled with doubts and fears. And as if that weren't enough, my phone buzzed again, a message from the same unidentified caller.

Hope the photo leak didn't hurt too much. More bedevilment to come :)

"It hasn't even been a full day," I commented, glaring at the text. "What the hell did I do to piss this person off?" If this was the game this person was going to play, so be it. This guy was only getting started, and though I didn't want to admit it, said person had already struck a nerve. And the audacity they had to end the message with a smiley face?!?! They'll know that once I'm through with them, they'll know they fucked with the wrong person. 

Suddenly, a voice broke through my inner turmoil. "Ember, what's wrong?" 

Startled, I looked up, eyes wide with trepidation as I noticed Wheeljack standing there noticing my distress. "You've been acting strange all day. What's eating at you?"

I tried to dismiss my troubles, not wanting to burden him or reveal my secret. My lips pressed into a thin line. I opened my mouth to respond, but then clamped it shut, shaking my head. "It's nothing, really," I managed to say, voice quivering. "I just...I think I need to go home."

Wheeljack studied me for some time, something the Autobots have been doing as of late. And I swear I was just getting comfortable hanging out with them. Guess that was a lie. 

"You know you can talk to me, kid. I know something's wrong," Wheeljack pressed. 

I shook my head, turning away. Just as I turned, a sudden burst of green light illuminated the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls as a shrill beep circumnavigated through the base. I spun around, my confusion deepened. I turned to Wheeljack. "What's going on? Why is the sensor flashing?"

Wheeljack straightened, his optics narrowing as he checked the readout on a nearby console. "That's the Agent Fowler signal," he muttered, his voice laced with caution.

"Agent who?" I asked, my brow furrowing in puzzlement. 

Before I could inquire further, the authoritative voice of Optimus Prime resonated through the base, commanding attention. "Agent William Fowler is a human liaison who occasionally visits our base. We prefer to keep our presence here a secret from the outside world."

"So what's so special about him?" 

Wheeljack's fingers tapped a rapid rhythm against the workbench, his thoughts racing. "Let's just say that not everyone outside of our group is as welcoming to Autobots as we'd hope," he explained cryptically.

My eyes widened with realization. "You mean there are people who might want to hurt you, or use you for their own purposes?"

Wheeljack nodded gravely. "Exactly. We've got a responsibility to keep Earth safe, but we also need to protect ourselves." Something tugged at me reminding me that the bots would never be safe with me around. 

"Ember, it would be best if you found a place to hide. We do not know how Agent Fowler will react to finding out that we are harboring another human," Optimus said.

I nodded, instantly slipping away into the shadows of the base, heart pounding as I sought a concealed corner to wait out the encounter before the bots could spot me. The whir of machinery and the distant hum of conversation filled the air as the Autobots readied themselves for the impending interaction.  

I slipped up the wall and pooled in a shadow by the elevator doors. Said doors opened.