Chapter Text
Sometimes in life, you make mistakes. Some simple and easy to fix as long as you do what's right. That's what Miko was always told.
But she was never told how to deal with this.
The yelling and shouting as the medic bot, Ratchet, ran about to grab his tools to save the only femme bot on the team.
Arcee.
Miko wasn't that close with her, but that made no difference in her terror as if it were Bulkhead that was hurt. But it wasn't instead Arcee laid on the medical table, near death and on what she assumed was life support.
She could hear people screaming, whether it was at her or at Ratchet she did know. She didn't even know if they were yelling to be mad or shouting to be worried.
All of them were yelling and yelling. they rang in her ears with endless torment.
But she understood.
She understood why they were probably- no, most definitely mad. She had snuck out again at her own will and as a result, Arcee might not make it to tomorrow.
And Jack, oh Jack. His face was a new level of guilt when she saw the way his breath hitched as he brought his hands to his mouth in horror.
She remembers the yelling.
He shouted at her, screaming in both anger and worry. But the worry was not for her, it was not and might never be for her now that she thought about it.
He told her it was her fault. She knew it was true even as Bulkhead and Optimus tried to calm him down and reassure her that Jack was just in a panic.
But she just knew by the look in their optics, they were looking at her with a knowing disappointment and slight anger.
She knew all of this was her fault but Miko didn't know how to help.
She offered to try and help, but the bots told her she'd done enough.
Then Jack lashed out, shedding his own tears, spitting words of fury as he roughly pointed a finger at her.
Those words.
“What the hell is wrong with you!!? Are you that stupid that you didn't even think to try and answer my call when she couldn't answer the bots??!!”
The look of defeat.
“What would you do if you were in danger and tried to call someone only for them to not answer?!! Huh?!”
The tears.
”as if you would even think to do even that!! All you do is cause trouble here! Look at her! She could die and it would be all. your. Fault. ”
It's all my fault.
“I know” she had whispered, not that anyone heard, but she still said it.
But she was too much of a wuss to say it louder without making him more mad.
…
….
It was hours later. Hours after Optimus had reluctantly banned her, Jack and Raf from the base. “Temporarily” he'd said.
“We just don't want you three to get hurt with all the decepticon activity, and after today, it's best you all stay home for a while”
She broke their trust and as a result the three of them were banned. Banned.
She couldn't even bare herself to look up at the bots, not bulkhead, not Ratchet, not Optimus.
And not Arcee, who laid on the medical table. Finally stable.
In the middle of the night she got a text from Ratchet telling them that Arcee will recover just fine and just needs time to rest. He then explained to Miko that she would have to ask Jack and Raf if she wanted to contact them.
That was the last thing he said before her number was blocked for any and all bots.
She didn't even know if Ratchet got permission to do that. Maybe he did it because he was finally free of her. She didn't know.
All she knew was that it was her fault. And she accepts that, she always will.
“I'm sorry” she whispered.
“I'm sorry… I'm so fragging sorry-” she sobbed loud enough for her host parents to hear her in her room.
She had a feeling that maybe her 'temporary’ ban from the base will last much longer than the others.
…..
…..
“M…”
“M..k… I'......orr..y”
“ I'm sorry.”
A loud against the bus window brought her from her nap, she groaned at the resulting headache the window thud gave her as she lifted herself up straight.
Oh, Right.
She had fallen asleep on the bus. What a long trip.
She looked around as multiple kids chatter on about their own things, she turned her head to peek out the window to see them turning into the parking lot of a museum.
Now she remembered as the fuzziness left her awakening mind.
Her class and others are going on a school trip, a trip to some lame museum, at least it's one about history and not an art one with a person making a splatter on a canvas and calling it art.
She adjusts her backpack onto her lap as the bus comes to a stop, all the kids immediately start yelling upon the stop.
She eyes the kids jumping in their seats before turning face to face with Raf, who sat in the seat right across from her. The boy froze in surprise at the eye contact and quickly looked away nervously.
But he at least gave her a smile, a sad one. But a smile nonetheless.
Then again that's all he gave her in these last, like, two weeks since the accident. So she didn't know if that was progress in recovering their friendship.
Hell, she didn't even want to think about how Jack was probably feeling right now.
She looks towards the window again, taking in the sight of the luscious yet dark green colors of the forest just behind the museum.
This building was a tourist attraction and school trip blind spot, but other than that it was completely empty.
It was in the middle of nowhere a while away from the town of Nevada, hence the actual trees instead of sand and rocks for miles.
And to her, the forest gave her the creeps. And it seemed it gave Raf that too.
“Alright Kids!” The kids all look over at the teacher at the front of the bus as she claps her hands.
“We've arrived! Welcome-” she moves away with the little space at the front of the bus, to reveal a random young lady with a messy bun in her hair, she wore a uniform that was unlike the teachers. Which means she was most likely the tour guide.
“To the Norwell Museum! I hope you're all excited! Cause I sure am!!” She said in an overly bright tone.
“ Oh joy..” Miko sighs as she tries to hide her face behind her hand in embarrassment for the poor woman, how often did she do this? Clearly a lot to look that fake in excitement while still looking somewhat dead inside.
The teen ignored the woman speaking up front and soon they were getting up and out of the bus at the woman's words of: “I hope you're ready for a near full day of history learning!”
Again, she tells herself, at least it's better than some bad modern art museum.
She steps off the bus with a huff, her bag on her shoulders and brushing off the purple dress she wore. Yup, she was wearing something simple instead of her usual wear.
What? Her host parents wanted her to wear something nice for a field trip, sure it was stupid but she wouldn't be rude. Also she'll be home before she knows it, then she can get out of the dress and in some pajamas.
The tour guide begins listing off group numbers to different students as every bus is emptied of insanely energetic kids, for once she wasn't one of those kids.
Miko's number is called and she's sent to a small group of other kids, she lifts her head as she walks over, and freezes at the two pairs of eyes that stare at her.
Jack and Raf, both of them in her group.
Man, does God hate her? Scrap, this was gonna be awkward.
With the groups assembled, children pile into the museum.
All the while, eyes watch through the trees and into the windows. Staring at the people inside. Waiting.
Waiting for the next possible strike.