Author's Note: I based this piece off of Transformers: Age of Extinction, having added OC's of my own; though my involvement with this genre has been extremely...scarce as of late.

Having made this TAoE, I find it is only fair to warn you that this contains spoilers...MANY of them. I've seen the film twice and highly recommend it. To attempt to understand this, doing your world wide web homework or attending the film is advised.

Be aware-there will be changes.

One, being, the protagonist. She is an OC. Freshly new to the series, she is preexisting to the Autobot/Human cause, though you won't find her previously in any of my listings. Keep in mind, however, she does have a past with the Autobots...one that has yet to be written. If you want dirt on her; message me, keep in touch with the plotline, and DON'T SKIP THE PROLOGUE.

Prologue

There was silence as the heavy doors closed, echoing off the empty briefing room. A dim light hung hair above their heads in a cathedral ceiling, a fan humming in duty. All eyes were on the man in the Gucci suit as he approaches the conference table, situating his glasses on his face and looking demanding, if not intimidating. He held power in a straight lip and shot a look to his assistant. She handing him six briefing folders, all a dark charcoal color matching his suit, and marked CONFIDENTIAL in red lettering. He tossed them on the table with a flick as her heels clicked against the floor. He watched her, devouring her presence, until she was seated at the head of the conference table across from him.

The four others; The Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary, Vice President, and the CIA Director, watched the folders with eyeing suspicion.

"Welcome, gentlemen," he announced strongly. The room's atmosphere grew weightier, and the men perked to a prickling attention at his voice. The man, now obviously in charge of the debriefing, gazed at the woman and raised his chin. She rose slowly and headed to the corner, where a computer station was lumbering quietly. She clicked it on and inserted a USB drive. "Welcome to the future of our nation, the future of humanity, and the future of the world."

A wall of windows instantly darkened into screens. The man raised his hands and gestured to the wall with his head, and they all turned. He grabbed the folders as motioned for his assistant to begin the slides. She nodded, pulled up the show, and hurried over. Handing him the control device, he slipped the files into her hand and she slowly made her way around the table, dropping folders into the men's hands.

"Three years ago," he began, "one of our nation's sparkling cities-Chicago-experienced one of the most feared, franchised, and devastating occurrences in world history." He stopped as he brought up the decal for a military/CIA operated group. "That, gentlemen, was the Chicago War, between aliens, who sought to ravage our world of life, energy, and freedom, by infecting it with their war. Our government, having been deceived by these 'Autobots'," he made quotes with his fingers, "liberates itself today.

"During the alliance with the Autobots, the U.S. military spawned the 'Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty', or NEST operation. Today is the anniversary of the severing of that treaty, and today I introduce to you the new operations manager of the disbanding operation to rid our world the Autobots-and their Decepticons. That man is James Savoy. Unfortunately, due to previous engagements, he was unable to join us." he clicked through the presentation.

He lulled on about the Autobots and their destructive capabilities. He led them through the file, section by section; explaining the motto of the new operation entitled "Cemetery Wind", which would rid the U.S. of Transformers threats for good by taking matters into human hands. He got reassuring nods and confirming smirks, and wrinkled brows of confusion. He explained the war on tyranny he was leading, an honorable fight to make the world human again and take back what the enemy Transformers had stolen. Then, he went into the targets CW was after.

"Six of them were provided sanction," he had seated himself now and rubbed his bearded chin, "the others...unaccounted for. We've extinguished most of them...and are still looking for their Commander. The Decepticons, have, well...have yet to be encountered. Our primary goal now is to rid the people of the deception through the Autobots and their talk of allegiance. No more of our blood needs to be shed at their hands."

There was silence as he led them on.

He was stopped around page 40 when a man from the left row; stout, but commanding and aged with experience-the Sec Def-raised a hand slightly from his folder and cut him off mind sentence. "And what of the human operatives of NEST?" he challenged. The room was dead still after all heads turned to attend his question, "Have they been...refocused?"

He leaned back in his chair as his assistant stood brittley still behind him. "The NEST operatives were relocated to refocus groups in the South Mediterranean, where they were away from the Autobots and their technology. Most of them were refocused and restationed."

"Most?" he gave him an unimpressed look.

"Most," he continued, "but not all. Three-the biggest in the business, you could say," he cleared his throat, "managed escape, presumably with Autobot assistance. They boarded a flight under alibis and disappeared here on American soil-" he clicked through the presentation until three side-by-side shots held the attention of the room. "-and we had no trace of them until recently. Well, two-thirds of them."

"Wait. Two-thirds? What about the other?" The Secretary chided.

"Currently, unaccounted. We're still searching. It takes time to pin them down. Remember, they have trained and fought side-by-side with masters of disguise. They know how to get around town. But, we've managed. An army chasing AWOL's leaves the AWOL's between a rock and a hard place, however. CW is currently looking for them, as well."

"So, if you don't know where they are," the Deputy nudged his way into the conversation, "then how do you know they aren't working with the Autobots? Carrying the banner? Continuing the cause?"

"If they were continuing the cause, we would know about it," he jutted in defensively, "there would be suspicions in cities, locations, more energy readings, an uprising of loyals. The entire operation would be back together. We know how to track the Autobots-and how to take them down, Deputy. If humans were allegedly allied with these Transformers, trust me, we would know. The people would know."

"Who are these people?" the Vice President asked cautiously. "And what about the other two?"

He gestured to the far right. "They are the three who have been with the Transformers since the arrival of the Autobots on Earth. Major William Lennox; basically the head of NEST field operations," he pointed to the far right, "And Captain Robert Epps," a small, satisfied smile pulled at his lips, "a fighter, techy type soldier only holding rank because his buddy's in charge. Both of them were shot-on-sight almost a year ago."

The room got quiet, and a small gasp came from behind him. He turned his chair to face his assistant, as the rest of the room shot their eyes in her direction. Realizing her mistake, she promptly turned on the ball of her foot and left the room. He chuckled and returned to his explanation.

"The third," he got up and cupped his hands behind him, "is peculiar. No military background, record, or involvement with any military operation before NEST. A nobody, essentially," he looked up at the middle picture, a striking woman war-torn and with fire in her eyes. Around her neck was the object of his personal concern. "Until the Autobots came to Earth, she was no one. Just a journalist. She, however, entered government concern when she allied herself with the Autobot Commander, Optimus Prime, and fought beside him in Mission City, Cairo, and Chicago. She's what we call a Underdog-there only because she can be."

Three Years Previous

Chicago

"Prime!"
She shouldered past the crowd, which had gathered to gawk at the remains of fallen adversaries and heroes. Others wept over lost ones, while others scanned the skies beholding the destruction. The military had already begun intervening, providing medical care to the critically wounded. Unable to conceal the Transformers any longer, the Autobots stayed bi-pedal, taking in the moment of their victory, and their losses.

She was roughly shoved away from a bulky figure bent over the corpse of a woman, sobbing hysterically and screaming at the sky. Her heart screamed at his cry, but her attention focused on the towering figure 40 feet above her, the figure staring off into the horizon, utterly speechless at the death of a mentor, an enemy, and a city. She'd seen that look before in his optics; the emptiness that screamed from him.

"Optimus!" she slowed to a stop as she came up beside him on the bridge. He looked down to her and then back to the horizon, ignoring both her and the stares coming from every direction. Dangerously wounded with the loss of an arm, and bitterly angered by his own actions, she blinked and touched his foot with a gentle, bloody hand. "Optimus, please. Say something."

"There is nothing to be said." He completed his statement by turning from her.

"And what on Earth is that supposed to mean?" she challenged, crossing her arms and cocking a hip. "Don't you dare walk away from me, Optimus Prime!" She followed his as he slowed, purposefully, looking down at her as she treaded the destroyed asphalt beside him, dodging holes and chunks of pavement. "There is nothing to be said? Really?" she spread out her arms. "There's everything to be said about what you did today." He looked away, only to have her cut in front of him. He caught sight of her and jerked to an abrupt halt, unwilling to go forward with her in front of him. "You freed a people. Your people. From a leadership corrupted by war."

"I destroyed a legend, a leader."

She was quiet a long moment, holding his gaze, before she spoke. "You destroyed a legend to be a leader."

"He was a Prime!" he challenged her, taking a step forward. She took one half step back. "He taught me everything I know about myself. He taught me Cybertron."

"He taught you of destruction and revenge, and you learned peace and unity. He taught you law, and you learned justice! He taught you death, and you learned life," she declared.

"He is a Prime. I am a Prime. We are essentially one."

"There is a difference between who you are and what he was. Where he saw hopelessness and something lesser, you saw cause and something great."

"I killed a brother."

"You saved my life! Our lives! Your people!" she challenged, "and that, Optimus Prime, is leadership. You make decisions that benefit the many, in a way that hurts only one. Not all of those decisions turn out as we would like, my friend." She looked at him, blinked her strikingly blue eyes, and said, "You are my friend first. My Commander second. I'm sorry for breaking rank and speaking against an officer," and she walked past him.

He pondered her words. So strong, for one so small. He realized then she would've made a powerful, wise Prime if only she were of his kind-she was, essentially. He had learned so much from her these years on Earth. Everything she explained she explained with clarity and strength, knowledge, and wisdom. He understood that she was a rarity among humans, one that was uniquely and specially designed for her destiny, her fate. He was fortunate to have such a comrade, even if from a different race and planet.

She was right. He had made a decision, a decision to break away from the mold of Prime's focused only on the preservation and prosperity of themselves, and their realm of control. That decision had solidified in the blast to Sentinel's chest, an explosion from his very spark defying the odds of the galaxy and the history of Cybertron's Prime's. He had liberated himself from law and bound himself towards justice, and had freed himself from protection and into the arms of defense. He'd found something greater than himself...he found her, and her kind.

He turned to watch her, such a small thing, walk straight into the arms of Major William Lennox, where she practically fell against him. She began to cry, then pushed away from him and to the railing of the bridge. There they argued hotly for a moment, pointing and gesturing to damage. Then, she thrust a finger in his direction, tossed him a hurt gaze, and then started sobbing again. She was welcomed again into his arms, where he rubbed her back and whispered into her ear. He shot Optimus a look from where he was standing that asked for an explanation. Optimus closed his optics and looked down. His ignorance and pride had hurt her.

And, that was something he had willed himself not to do.

"What's that, around her neck?" the Vice President asked, pointing.

"That," he raised his voice, "is the reason we are here." The room's tension thickened. "She, gentlemen, is Optimus Prime's confidante. His ally. His friend. He trusts her more than anyone else on this planet, and she will do whatever it takes to find him and reunite NEST and its operatives, however few there are.

She possess the Shield of the Matrix, an inner part of the Matrix of Leadership given only by a Prime to a most trusted soldier. It signifies their allegiance, her never-ending loyalty to him. It is a powerful tool she has been trained, taught, and skilled in using. With that, we can fully utilize the weapondry we have collected from the other dead Transformers...it will give us every code, blueprint, activation point, and layout of how to use them...and form them to our military."

The Secretary's eyes widened.

"She is the reason we are meeting her today. I have an asset-a very big asset-that will help us find her, and Optimus Prime. A deal is to be entered-between us and him. He wants Optimus Prime and her," he pointed to the woman in the middle of the screen, "for reasons unknown. For reasons, I frankly don't care about."

"And in return?"

He smiled. "Something far greater than we could imagine." He straightened his tie and cut the presentation. The men around the table got up.

"Our mission, gentlemen," he began almost heroically, "is to find and kill any Autobot other than Optimus Prime, and to find and terminate and member of NEST that is not that woman. Upon any surveillance of them, you are immediately to hand them over to Cemetery Wind. This is primary objective of the CIA..."

A wicked spark ignited in his eyes. "...and my personal undertaking."