Butterfly

By Zaru

Summary: They work so hard to keep Earth safe and yet ask nothing in return. But when unknowing strangers are brought to the NEST base after receiving injuries because of them, a few of the transformers find something they never thought possible. A bond.

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro. Kia Hawkins belongs to weapon13whitefang. Piper Somoon belongs to BlackHealer222. Beth King belongs to Mrs. Optimus Prime. Erin Timmons belongs to Strawberrytop007. Zaru Kiys belongs to me. Other characters not included in the TF universe are mine as well.

A/n: Surprise! Surprise! A new fic is under way! Can you believe it? I'm surprised! Aren't you? LOL. So please enjoy. Thanks.

Prologue

The N.E.S.T. team was mobilized, tracking a nearby stray Decepticon who took refuge near a public establishment. Hoping to take the enemy down quietly, the group sent in a couple of their best members to take care of the situation. Although, there was a better need for them to get their target away from public and into an isolated area where they could easily take him down.

Major William Lennox pulled the strap of his weapon over his shoulder and patted the hood of the blue car next to him.

"All right, Mirage. We need to do this quickly and quietly."

"Of course, Major Lennox. And if all else fails, we simply divert the Decepticon's attention elsewhere." The blue Ford GT mentally smiled. Less than a year ago, he encountered this strange grouping of humans. They did not know he was there because of the message sent out from Optimus until it was deemed safe by the Autobot leader himself that Mirage was no threat to them whatsoever.

"Well, yeah, but we need to keep a low profile. That's a human club." Lennox pointed to the huge red building with a couple cars in the back parking lot. "I'm not sure if there are many humans there or not right now, but we need to keep ourselves unnoticed."

"Sir, we have a visual on the target." Wilder, a blonde, spiky-haired Captain in the squadron thrust his night vision goggles into Lennox's hands. "40 meters to the west, Major."

William Lennox brought them to his eyes quickly, seeing the Decepticon in a deep recharge in a parking space near the club. "Okay. Men, when I give the signal." He held his hand up, waiting for the perfect moment. Thrusting two fingers together, he pointed in the direction of the club, every human ready to roll. But they stopped in mid-step when they heard the back door of the building open.

"Hold it!" Sergeant Epps whispered. "There's someone coming out."

"Damn it." Lennox groaned. "Last thing we need is a citizen getting in the way of our mission."

Erin Timmons shoved the heavy door open, having a little trouble since she wasn't as strong as her friends. The strawberry top grunted to push it until it stilled, keeping it open for fresh air to waft in. Her and a few of the employees volunteered their time to repaint the club as renovations were going on. Not to mention it gave them a chance to bond a little more without crowds of people being in the way. She smiled a little and wiped her hands of the dirty ashes from the door.

"There we go." She smiled small before heading back inside. "Hey, Zaru!" Erin cupped her hand around her mouth, shouting.

"What the hell, girl, I could hear you across seven states! Don't do that shit again!" A voice scolded her from the second floor.

Erin smiled. "Come on down here. Let's take a break." She suggested. The group had been working pretty hard the past several hours without breaking for food or even the bathroom. "We can order some Chinese or something."

"Blech. I don't wanna eat Chinese again. I had it last night for dinner. I want something different." A different voice called from behind the bar counter.

"Piper, you know you aren't supposed to be behind there. Zaru's gonna kill you if she catches you back there again." Erin scolded her own friend, arms crossed over her small chest.

"Yeah, yeah." A hand appeared from under the counter, setting several glasses on the bar. "You know, Erin, maybe you need to learn to chill out some. You can become pretty annoying sometimes." The Asian-American teen stood up, a smile on her face. "Especially when you whine half the time."

Erin's mouth turned into a pout as she tightened her folded arms together. "That's really mean, Piper. I don't say anything bad like that about you." The other teen made her way to the stools and sat down on one. "I'm not that whiney."

"You little girls are pretty damn annoying. The both of ya. Ya ever wonder how you two were able to get jobs here with your whacked out personalities?" A dark-haired female came from the back area, heavy boxes in her arms. "I tell ya, if I owned this place, you'd be at the bottom of my list of hires."

"Kia, shut up." Zaru Kiys looked down from over the railing, smears of blue paint covering her cheeks and green hair tied up into a messy ponytail. In her right hand, she held a paintbrush while her left adjusted the paint-covered tank top she wore. "Do you see now why I wish I never hired you part-time?"

"'Cause of my dazzling good looks." Kia smirked, her elbow resting on top of the boxes she just set down on one of the tables, looking up at her friend. "And because you're my friend."

"Look, just because we grew up together doesn't mean we're friends, okay?" The blue-eyed female rubbed her temples. "I wish Jii-san didn't make me play with you. All you ever did was make us use the five-finger discount in stores and gamble."

"Hey, we made some pretty hefty dough gambling." She rubbed her fingers together. "It paid for our treats at the corner food stalls, didn't it?"

Yes it did. Zaru remembered all the time. Even though there were rough times within their friendship while growing up, there was also the few times in their lives that the bond they had meant everything to them. It brought a ghost of a smile to her face.

"Hey, Zaru, can you come down here and deal with Piper?" The emerald-eyed waitress called from her seat on the stool. "She's behind the bar again and won't listen to me."

Rolling her eyes in disbelief, the club owner threw the brush down and set for the stairs. "I seriously wonder how I was talked into taking you in to work."

"Because you love us." Piper sing-songed.

The moment she stepped on the first floor, Zaru threw Piper a dirty look saying 'Get the hell away from my bar' and gave the finger to Kia.

"Wow. Aren't we in a good mood tonight." Her friend muttered. Damn, why did I leave the army for this life?

It was a question she asked herself plenty of times. Ever since her time with the army was finished a couple years ago, Kia considered the possibility of re-enlisting. But she threw that chance away when her squad leader had informed her of a change of scenery. Which one? She had no idea. The government only told her so much about where her transfer would be since it was a top secret government project. But they got to as far as stating it was called N.E.S.T. As much as it thrilled her to be apart of some 'classified crap' as she called it, there was no way she could do it. So, she settled for staying out and at home until a later time if this wasn't the life for her. Besides, her friend needed her at the moment.

"I'm going out for a smoke. You guys wanna come out or what?" She pulled her dyed green hair out of the ponytail and ruffled it a little, letting it flow freely down her back.

"I'm in. I need the air." Piper waved her hand in front of her face. "This paint smell is just too strong right now." Leaping over the bar, the Asian-American teenager fixed her shirt and walked past Erin, her wooden sandals clicking on the tiled floor beneath her.

Kia sighed. "Me, too. I need a smoke." The ex-army woman cracked her knuckles, receiving a death glare from Zaru.

"Kia, you don't smoke. So, don't start saying shit like that." Replying with her own finger gesture, the club owner growled, hands fisting at her sides. "Don't you start shit with me again, girl! You're already on probation!"

That was true. Recently, Kia had a police record for illegal betting in underground races which she took part in. But that didn't stop her from making a situation when the race course traveled around the club. That was one thing that made Zaru angry. To pull her business in illegal gaining. The police even had a search warrant for the club after stopping the riders near it, most of them saying it was all Kia's friend's idea for the race. Oh, boy was Zaru angry at that one. Which is why the rider was on probation and, in a way, working off her small 'debt'.

The wind blew freely through the open door behind the club and Zaru welcomed it. It was nice and cool outside whereas the club was piping hot. Feeling the air on bare flesh was just what she needed after working so long. Grabbing her cigarettes from her back pocket, she pulled one out and lit up. The woman moved toward a car that wasn't hers and sat against it, not knowing whose it was nor caring.

Optimus, still in alt mode, was watching the situation unfold. That woman was going to be killed touching a Decepticon like that. That's why they had to make a move as quick as possible to get the enemy before they got her and her friends.

Lennox licked his dry lips, a little dirt smudged on his face as part of the camouflage. The leader, Epps kneeled down in the dirt. "How're we gonna get rid of that Decepticon without harming the citizens?" He wondered.

Ratchet, in his own alt mode beside Optimus, could be heard sighing. "We might not have a choice but to go down there. Perhaps a distraction might help lure them away from the Decepticon."

Wilder shook his head. "That might work. But what?"

Zaru was near done smoking her cigarette before pushing herself away from the black convertible.

"Piper, when we go back in to finish up, stay away from the bar. Kia will work on it."

The raven-haired beauty blinked, eyes wide. "Excuse you? When did I get bar duty?"

"The second you showed me your favorite finger." The owner threw the butt cigarette to the ground and stepped on it with the heel of her work boot. "And no smuggling the alcohol this time. I have to pay for that shit, ya know."

"And no smuggling the alcohol this time." Her friend mocked. "What a crock of horseshit. I don't take the alcohol." She smirked, arms folded across her chest. "I drink it at the bar."

"Same fucking thing." She retorted, blue eyes narrowed in hate. "If you would just act like a normal person for once, things would be fine."

"Being normal sucks ass." Kia sneered. "Besides, I like myself just the way I am."

"Yeah. A crazy bitch who believes using fisticuffs is a way of life!"

Kia gritted her pearly white teeth. "Look who's talking! You practically got everything handed to you on a silver platter, Z! What do I get? Nothing! Cause I had to work my ass off for it!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you getting everything so easily! You got money! You got friends! You got close knit family! What the hell did I have? Jack squat! I worked my ass off for everything I have now!"

As the argument continued, Erin, not used to the confrontational side of things, pleaded with both women to stop arguing.

"Can't we all just get along?" She pouted. "Stop fighting!" Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

The knuckle-gloved woman scoffed at the poor girl. "Oh, quit your sniveling, Itsy Bitsy! This ain't any of your business! So butt out!"

"Don't talk to her that way!" Piper shouted. "She's just trying to help!"

A glare came the girl's way. "Don't pull yourself into this shit, too, girl. I'm warning you."

"You're warning me? You can't do anything to me, you psycho!"

Zaru pushed the two away from each other. "That's enough! I've had it!" The four stood together silent. "This talk has gone too far."

"Maybe we should just get back to work?" Erin suggested, backing up toward the door.

"Yeah." Piper agreed. "The paint must be affecting all your brains." She pointed out, brushing her bangs away from her eyes.

Zaru and Kia stood side by side, staring at each other. "She's probably right. Those paint fumes are pretty nasty."

Kia bit her lower lip. "Yeah." She whispered. On the outside, she was always a smartass. Rage leveling up within her. Getting herself into trouble with the police half the time. But all the time, Zaru was there for her. Yeah, she insulted her half the time and yelled with arguable situations, but not once did her friend let her down. Whenever she needed help, there was always that one person she could count on. No matter what. So, the last she could do after such a stupid squabble was apologize. Reaching up, she scratched the back of her head. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"Yeah. Me, too." Zaru whispered back. "Still friends?"

"Do we have to be?" Kia playfully whined, heading toward the door. But not before Zaru lunged onto her back, arms tightening around her neck. "Ow!" She growled, and grasped tightly onto the invader's arms. "Did you have to do that?"

"Yeah." She giggled. "Come on!"

Before they could make their way inside, the turning of an engine roared to life in the convertible Zaru was near moments before.

"What the fuck?" Kia's eyes widened. "Who's in that damn car?"

Mirage's own engine sprang to life. The Decepticon was waking up and those humans were in a dangerous path. The men surrounding him moved back giving him room to transform.

"We have no choice now! Autobots, move in!" Optimus Prime called, transforming himself.

The rest of them transformed and the N.E.S.T. team pulled their weapons at the ready. Everyone made their way to the Decepticon, hoping to get there before he or she laid a hand on innocent bystanders.

TBC….

A/n: Snap! Okay. Well, how was this prologue? Was it good? Bad? Let me know! XD

Sweet Mech Dreams,

Zaru