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“You really do not have to do this”, Jon pressured, adjusting his tie; “All my sister did to you and your family was, well, bad . And she only brought you all hardships and betrayal…”
Dorothy, who was sitting behind the wheel, looked at Jon, sitting shotgun next to her.
“No matter what she did, she was your family. You loved her like one, and we, of all people, know the importance of family”, she explained, trying to smile through the melancholy of the matter.
“We are here for you, Schloder.”
“ All of us ”, said Bumblebee; the driver.
“ You are kind of family now, and family looks after each other. ”
Jon chuckled sadly.
“Thank you both”, he hummed.
It was a beautiful and late evening. Dorothy and Bumblebee picked Jon up from the ranger station a little earlier to take him to the Malto farm, where they would hold a memorial service for his sister. There was nothing left of Karen to bury, and like Jon had said, she probably would’ve hated what Jon had planned for her memorial, but the brother wished to pay his respects for his sister- the only family he had, and the person who he loved deeply.
The Maltos had offered to hold the service at their farm, and they wished to partake in it, too. Yes, it was true that none of the Maltos knew Karen the way Jon did; all Karen ever did to the Maltos, the Terrans and even the Transformers who sided with GHOST was pain, sadness, betrayal, gaslighting, gatekeeping- everything, but love and care. But Jon knew his sister wasn’t always the monster Mandroid made of her; she wasn’t always a bad person.
When they arrived at the farm, Jon was surprised by Optimus Prime and Megatron, who too wished to take part in the memorial. When Dot and Jon were out, Bumblebee transformed.
“I called them”, he said to Jon; “I hope it’s okay.”
Jon smiled for the yellow bot.
“It is okay. Thank you, Bee”, he replied. He was touched by all of their presence, even though he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty for what his sister did to all of them.
~
Jon was holding a candle in his hands. He, the Maltos (humans and Terrans), as well as Bumblebee, Optimus and Megatron, were all standing in the field, under the clear, starry sky.
“We have gathered here today to pay respects for my late sister, Karen Croft. She was my boss, my sister, my family…” Jon started, fiddling with the candle in his hands. He was facing the other’s way, but couldn’t look them in the eyes.
He continued: “There is no use for me to deny all the damage and pain Karen caused, to you all, and to me. She did a lot of bad things, she was manipulated and used by Mandroid in her final years…”
“But she wasn’t always bad . The Karen I knew- what she used to be before … She was protective, reliable, loyal… She was a good sister. Before she was the head of GHOST- before the whole Transformers thing, she was good. She lost her way a long time ago, and she became a bad person. But she wasn't always like that. I wish you all could’ve known her before.”
“D-don’t get me wrong- I do not blame you for what happened to her-” Jon had to point out; “- I believe many of us have changed for the better after you arrived. But some of us… didn’t. That is just... how life works. unfortunately.”
Jon swept his eyes under his sunglasses. He took a few deep breaths before he continued; “If there is anyone to blame, it is Mandroid. Dr Meridian.”
“There is a lot of damage to heal from. To me as well. In the end, she wasn’t good to me either. But I can’t bring myself to hate her”, Jon said, and he choked a sob. Jon removed his sunglasses and hid his face against the back of his hand. He tried so hard to not cry, but it was getting hard.
Then, he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Jon looked down at Mo, who took a hold of his hand, and held it tight. She was smiling sadly, but she was making Jon feel better. Jon gave a little smile-like to her and held her hand back.
Now Jon faced everyone.
“I do not ask for good thoughts or prayers for Karen from you, but what I do ask is for you to feel for me. We all know what loss feels like. For all the bad things Karen did I wanted her to be held accountable, but I never wanted her to die.”
“Thank you, everyone.”
~
Optimus walked over to Jon, who was sitting down on the ground, holding the candle in his hands. It was getting late, and Bumblebee would soon be taking Jon back.
“I am sorry for how things turned out”, Optimus gently said; “I remember Agent Croft the first time we met. She was still a good person back then. If only we could've done something to prevent her from taking the path she took.”
“Thank you, Prime”, Jon mumbled with a little sob. He took his sunglasses off again and swept his teary eyes. Megatron joined them on the field, and he added; “I feel for you, Agent Schloder, and I am sorry for your loss.”
Jon stood up, leaving the candle on the ground. He turned to Prime and Megatron, and putting his sunglasses back on he flashed a grin.
“Thank you”, he said, nodding his head for Megatron.
“I hope we can fix what my sister broke, that we can make peace between our species, and take GHOST to the original path it was built for.”
Megatron smiled wide.
“I wish for that, too”, he agreed with Jon. With that and a nod of his head Megatron left them. He went to see the young Terrans before he’d excuse himself.
Optimus and Jon both looked at the rest of the family, humans and Terrans and Transformers together, enjoying each other’s company. There it was; hope for the future. Optimus, and Jon, and Megatron, and the rest of them, would fight for that future for however long it would take to achieve.