TRANSFORMERS: Between

Chapter 1

Now, this isn't really a "book" in the series, just a little thing I wanted to do as a side thing but it's still relevent. I have a question for you all: Who should Matsuri get with? It's all up to you!

NEST base, Diego Garcia
T- few hours after Egypt
2009

Just an hour after they had landed, they were ushered into a hanger where General Morshower and Director Galloway stood, the latter looking pissed.

"This is going to be fun." Matsuri mumbled sarcastically to Sam who was giving her a worried look. He had never met Galloway before and he wasn't sure what to think when he saw this man.

"Sir," Lennox nodded to the General. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Yes, well I thought I should welcome you and your team back in person." Morshower stated.

"Welcome them back?!" Galloway snapped. "They tricked me and threw me out of the plane!"

"Actually," Robert spoke up. "You pulled your parachute while still on the plane when Will was explaining it to you."

Matsuri looked at the other soldiers for confirmation and those who caught her look simply smirked and nodded. She had to hold in her laughter as she started to just imagine how that all went.

"That does not matter." Galloway huffed. "What matters is that you disobeyed a direct order! You went off to Egypt to...what? Pick up the experiment and the boy?!"

Matsuri could feel Sam tensing beside her and she quickly nudged him, trying to keep him calm. They couldn't afford Sam to go off on the man.

"We told you, you couldn't negotiate with those decepticons if you tried." Will took a step forward. "Not when they were after something called the Matrix of leadership."

"What is that?" Marshower asked, his interest caught.

Optimus drove forward, making his human comrades part ways for him, making sure they gave him a wide berth. Once he was sure he had enough room, he transformed and, once he was done, he knelt, getting close as he could to their level. He noted that Morshower didn't look that surprised to see him alive. Galloway on the other hand...the human was extremely pale, eyes wide and his mouth falling open.

"The Matrix of Leadership," He began. "Is an ancient artifact that was once held by the Primes, cybertronians that had visited earth in ancient times. It was locked away by their bodies and was found by Sam and Matsuri."

Galloway opened his mouth to speak but the general beat him to it.

"Why was this artifact so important?"

"It's a power source that is used to power a weapon called the Star Harvester, which would destroy your sun for energon. Even if you did corporate, it wouldn't make a difference. They always planned on executing that plan."

"Is the Matrix the reason why you are standing here, before me even when I was reported that you were deceased?"

"Yes."

"General, I-" Galloway started but Morshower silenced him with a look before looking back at the others.

"Go ahead and rest up. If you need treatment, you know where to go."

The soldiers saluted and went their separate ways as well as the autobots, though Ratchet and Ironhide both made sure to usher Matsuri into Ratchet's medbay and the only ones left were Will, Morshower and Optimus.

"It's good to have you back, Prime." Moshower stated after a moment.

"It is good to be back, General." Optimus inclined his head slightly. "Can you inform me what all happened since I was offlined?"

"We were ordered not to try and do anything while the other boys at the Pentagon and whatnot try to see if they could negotiate with those decepticons."

"They..." Will began to speak but paused before taking a deep breath. "They were considering all options which included handing over the boy. Matsuri...Because she had Megatron's metal on her, they decided if she was going to be too dangerous..."

"They were going to deactivate her." Morshower finished for Will. The only thing that came from Optimus was a twitch in his face and the two humans knew that they couldn't tell who the messenger was in that moment.

"We obviously would never allow it." Will assured the mech. "We would have fought them."

Optimus nodded. "I know, and I thank you for that. She has already been adopted by Ironhide and Ratchet, therefore making her an autobot."

"We know. Now, let's get you to that medbay."