"The Mariana Trench?! Are you out of your mind, Emily! The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. And it's below sub-zero there!" Ratchet warned her. Even though she was part Cybertronian, she could still get hurt.
"Ratchet, I will be fine. All I need is a suit and I'll be ready to get that sword before the Cons do." She looked at Ratchet. Bumblebee protested on why she shouldn't go even though Arcee was against the idea even though she didn't voice her thoughts.
"Guys, please. I promise that I will be careful." Ratchet looked at her as she stared back and sighed as he saw that there was no stopping her.
"Alright. I'll get you something so you can withstand the temperature of the trench." Ratchet left as he went somewhere in the base to retrieve something.
"Emily, are you sure you want to go to the deepest and darkest trench of the ocean? I mean, it could be dangerous. What if you got hurt?" Raf looked at her worriedly. He started to like Emily and having her around is like having an older sister.
"Raf, I'm sure. Don't worry. I'll be back soon." Emily reassured him as Ratchet came back with a diving suit and something to help her breathe underwater.
"Alright. Since there's no changing your mind. Here's a suit that will help you move faster in the water. A breathing mouthpiece to help you breathe underwater and goggles to help you see." Ratchet gave it to her and she noticed that it was around her size.
"Thanks, Ratchet." She grabbed her hover board and got on as Ratchet put the coordinates to the beach where the trench was located.
He turned on the ground bridge as it came to life. She stared into the green portal and let out a soft sigh before looking back at them and smiled and nodded with a determined smile as she turned on the boost mode on her hover board and disappeared through the portal. They watch her go as Ratchet turns the ground bridge off.
"Alright, Ratchet, there's something you're hiding and not telling us." Ratchet looked at Arcee in surprise but knew that he had to tell the truth, fully.
"Kids, why don't you three go up on the roof while we talk?" Ratchet looked to their three human companions.
Miko started to protest but Jack dragged her along with Raf as they used the elevator to get on the top of the base and left the Autobots alone.
Ratchet has been acting kind of weird for the past hour. Most of them found it very strange for him to be like that since he's usually the first one to inform them when something's going on. But today the doctor doesn't feel like himself and they took notice how he became protective when Emily told them that she will get the sword from the Mariana Trench of all places.
"Ratchet, are you alright?" Arcee asked as concern was in her voice as Ratchet had his hands on his face-plate as he sat down.
"Why do you ask that question, Arcee? Of course I'm alright. There's no reason for me to feel otherwise." Ratchet gave them an excuse so they won't pester him anymore but knowing his team, they won't stop until he tells them what's bothering him.
"Ratchet. You say you're alright but..." Bulkhead started but trailed off.
"You don't mean it." Arcee finished for him as Bumblebee beeped in agreement with his three teammates.
"What troubles you, old friend?" Optimus asked in concern.
Ratchet sighed as he looked up to his team and saw that they were concerned and wanted to know what was going on. So he sighed as he knew that now was the time to explain to them the full truth.
"Well... it's something to do with our newest friend?" Ratchet started slowly as they looked confused on what he meant. Was something going on with Emily?
"You mean Emily?" Arcee asked worriedly. She grew to care for Emily like her own daughter as Emily looked up to her like a mother.
"Yes and as you know I had her checked up to see if she was alright. I even took a blood sample." Ratchet continued his explanation as the others were listening and were confused. What's with her blood sample? Was there something they really didn't know about?
"Okay, so, what's the big deal?" Bulkhead asked in confusion which made Ratchet let out a sigh before he went to the computer and went to the records for the results of Emily's blood test.
"See for yourself." He gestured to the screen as they went up to see what was in it.
The whole group saw Emily's blood results on the screen and were all very surprised but most of all shocked by what they were seeing right now. That couldn't be right... Even Optimus has shock and disbelief in his optics.
"No way..." Bulkhead muttered in shock as his optics were wide as saucers.
"It can't be..." Arcee took a step back in shock and surprise as Bumblebee beeped in shock as if telling himself that this can't be real.
"Is that Energon?" Arcee turned to Ratchet with shock in her optics as Ratchet refused to meet her gaze as he had his arms cross.
"Ha ha ha. What do you know, the doc has a sense of humor. Nice joke. It is a joke right?" Bulkhead tried to laugh it off before stopping as he saw the look in Ratchet's face-plate as he asked that question and Ratchet looked dead serious about what he showed them.
"Trust me, Bulkhead, I had a hard time believing it too." Ratchet looked at him and they saw how serious he was.
"Maybe it's a mistake." Arcee tried to deny it but it was starting to slowly sink in.
"It is not, Arcee. I've checked the data again and again." Ratchet still has the look of disbelief in his optics since he checked the data again and again and he wasn't mistaken.
The others looked shocked as it slowly started to come to them that not all meets the eye or optics.
"How is that possible? Energon can be fatal to humans." Bulkhead asked in shock as he knew that humans and energon don't go well together.
"Unless she's not human. You know what she is, don't you?" Arcee felt everything slowly come into the picture. If Emily wasn't human, then what is she then?
"Yes... she's part of a shameful secret. One that I've never thought of would have resurfaced." Ratchet closed his optics as he knew that they would have found out now.
"Whoa! Back up, you mean that you know what Emily is?" Bulkhead asks in shock. If Ratchet knew what Emily is, then why didn't he say anything?
"Yes... I do." Ratchet was having a hard time keeping the guilt from surfacing.
"Does this mean she's... Cybertronian?" Arcee asked him and earned a nod to confirm her question.
"Yes, but she's no ordinary Cybertronian. For you see... Emily... is Alpha Trion's lost daughter." Ratchet finally reveals the truth as he sees his team's reaction to this.
Everyone was shocked about what Ratchet said. Arcee has her optics wide in shock and disbelief. Bulkhead had the same reaction but had his jaw drop at this. Bumblebee has his optics wide as Optimus had shock, confusion and disbelief in his optics. Why didn't his mentor tell him that he had a daughter? Just why...?
"Ratchet, please tell us you're kidding." Arcee wants to deny it but it can't be helped as the truth finally sinked in. Their friend, Emily, is a fellow Cybertronian and the daughter of Alpha Trion. This is such a huge secret to have been hidden for so long.
"This is no joke, Arcee... it's... the truth... one which I lived with the regret of failure. During the war Alpha Trion had a sparkling of his own. One with an immense power to bring peace to Cybertron. Alpha Trion believed that his sparkling would be the bridge between Earth and Cybertron. When the Decepticons attacked, I did what I could to protect them. But Alpha Trion knew that he would be forced to make a very hard decision. Fearing what could have happened if the enemy found her, she had to be sent far away from Cybertron. I vowed to find her and protect at any cost. All this time, I thought she never landed on earth. I was such a fool. To think that I didn't recognize Emily when I saw her. I didn't got my hopes high about one of my previous failures getting fixed." Ratchet looked down as he felt guilty. He failed his vow and promise to find and protect Alpha Trion's daughter at all cost. Now that she's been found, it's only a matter of time before the Decepticons find out.
"What does failure have to do with any of this?!" Bulkhead asked angrily. Why didn't Ratchet tell them about this?!
"Bulkhead's right. How could you hide this from us? Especially Optimus! You know better than anyone that Alpha Trion was his mentor! He had the right to know!" Arcee agreed to what Bulkhead said as she looked betrayed by this. Bumblebee tried to make them calm down but it looked like they weren't stopping.
"You're right. I should've told him about it eons ago. Just so I can vent myself from the guilt of one of my many failures!" Ratchet glared at Arcee who glared back as he started to feel his chassis heating up with rising anger and guilt.
"You all know what it's like to live with failure. Think about it. I was able to patch up many of our wounded brothers and yet we suffered so many casualties! Like many others, I fought a hard war to try and save a planet and yet I still failed! I've done so many things and yet I must live with the burden of a past failure! Of all bots, you should understand what it feels like. But you would rather want me to do the right thing. Maybe I should've done what you'd said but that would've meant nothing because I would be admitting another failure that has been hidden for so long!" Ratchet yelled at them as the guilt and anger that wasn't directed at them but himself as they calmed down and saw it and their gaze softened.
"I've failed our cause, I've failed in saving Cybertron. I've failed Alpha Trion... Optimus, I'm sorry for keeping this secret from you all. Especially you, who once was Alpha Trion's student. If you have any sentiment of anger towards me, go ahead... I won't blame you..." Ratchet looked down as he closed his optics as he tried to recompose himself as the guilt was starting to eat him away.
Optimus hadn't said anything as he processed what had been told. The reason why Ratchet didn't tell them was that his mentor was afraid that the information would leak out into the public and reach the Decepticons. He then approached his friend calmly and put a hand on his shoulder as Ratchet looked up to him and saw that there was only compassion and sympathy in Optimus' blue optics.
"You did what you thought was right, Ratchet. I couldn't never hold a grudge against you for doing your duty." Optimus told him calmly as Ratchet started to calm down but he still had the guilty look in his optics.
"Some duty... for so long I thought I've failed on my vow to protect Alpha Trion's daughter that I've never thought that I could see her again. I've been such a fool." Ratchet sighed softly as he let out a small bitter laugh.
"Trust me, old friend, you're not the only one who feels that he has failed someone he deeply cared about. Failure is a part of life, Ratchet. As sentient beings, we must keep moving forward and never look back." Optimus told him as Ratchet nodded as he started to feel better now.
"Thank you, Optimus... I... really appreciate it. I'm sorry for losing my temper." Ratchet apologizes to Bulkhead and Arcee as Bumblebee sighed in relief since everything is calming down now.
"You don't need to apologize, Ratchet. It's my fault that you acted like that. I'm the one who should be sorry." Bulkhead apologized as he smiled at his friend.
"Me too." Arcee apologized as well as Bumblebee nodded to them as Bulkhead punched his shoulder playfully earning a playful beep from the yellow and black Autobot scout.
"Everyone here knows what it's like to live with the burden of past failures." Optimus smiled as he was glad that everything was finally sorted out.
"Yes, we do. And now that you know about Emily's secret. There's one thing that we must do." Ratchet agreed before turning serious as they have one or two problems to do.
Optimus knew that with this information, Emily will be a bigger target to the Decepticons.
"To keep our new friend out of Megatron's reach. No matter the cost." Optimus told them gravely as they realized the threat that was still present.
"We've got even bigger problems." Arcee agreed as she feared for their young friend.
"When it comes to the Decepticons, nothing can be worse than this." Bulkhead said, making Arcee look at him like he grew two heads.
"Is that so? Fine then, you're telling Emily the truth about her origins." Arcee told him, making Bulkhead turn towards her in surprise.
"What? You're not serious are you?" He asked as he got a bit nervous about telling Emily the truth.
"What if I am?" Arcee gave him a stern look to show that she was dead serious.
"Oh, yeah? Well, don't expect me to tell her. I mean She's my friend just like Miko but... maybe you should talk to her. She looks up to you." Bulkhead did have a point there since Emily looked up to them like a child would with their family.
"You don't think I would if I could." Arcee sighed as she knew that this would be hard to tell to Emily.
"Yes you could... maybe... I don't know. If we both can't tell her, who can?" Bulkhead was unsure as they tried to come up on who should tell Emily the truth.
They both then looked at Bumblebee who looked at them and knew what they were suggesting and beeps in disagreement about telling her while he's shaking his head, telling them that he can't tell Emily about the truth of her origins.
"Guess Bee's not the right bot for the job. Maybe Smokescreen?" Bulkhead suggested having their other friend who was away to tell Emily.
"Yeah sure. And maybe next you could mention Wheeljack." Ratchet shook his head since those two won't be good volunteers to tell Emily.
"Fine if none of us can do it, then it's up to you or Optimus to tell her the truth." Arcee told the two since they were out of options on who should tell Emily.
"Ratchet and I might be the right people to tell our friend what she needs to know. But I am afraid that right now is not the wise choice to make. I do not believe Emily is ready for this, not yet." Optimus agreed to what Arcee suggested but knew that they would need time until Emily is ready to learn the truth.
"If she's not ready for this now, when will she be ready?" Arcee asked in confusion but was worried about how Emily could take the news.
"I don't think even Primus knows. We can only hope that the answer will reveal itself when the time is right." Optimus knew that the news would hit Emily hard but it was best to wait until then.
"So we don't tell her anything?" Arcee asked as the others agreed on not telling Emily yet.
"For now." Their leader added.
"We shouldn't tell Jack, Miko and Raf about it. They're humans. If anything happens when she's told, then they might not understand but could help her out." Bulkhead knew that their three human friends deserve to know what is going on but he wasn't sure if they would understand as Optimus nodded.
"Indeed." Optimus agreed as Ratchet turned on the computer and the footage showed Emily swimming underwater now and she seemed to be heading towards the Trench but Optimus couldn't help but worry for her safety.