Frostbite
By Uniasus
Chapter 3
As Lennox had his suspicions, so did Optimus Prime. After decades of working together, the two commanders typically had similar ideas about intel. The situation on Samsoe Island was on that would need NEST participation and so Optimus had started putting together a strike team as soon as Bumblebee left.
When the scout sent that there were Decepticons on the island and humans were still not allowed on the ferry, that strike team rolled out. Himself, Ratchet, Ironhide, Jolt, and the frontline twins were to be air dropped on Samsoe while a group of NEST soldiers was to stay on the mainland with Long Arm. Powerglide was to help in the air, and a second team was to wait in the wings in case they were needed. The objective was to drive the Decepticons off Samsoe and allow the residents to live free of Megatron's rule.
Of course, Sal thought as he grabbed hold of a door frame while his house shook, where there are Decepticons, Autobots are sure to follow. Which meant fighting, which in turn meant property damage, most likely a few deaths, a chance of being discovered and frozen, and then there was –
Sal scrambled to the back of his house as a Cybertronian started falling. He couldn't tell who it was, the passing of years meant new alt forms and arrivals so he only recognized Prime, Ratchet, and Bumblebee for sure, but the rapidly approaching back meant he had no idea if the mech destroying his house was either a Bot or a Con.
Whoever it was, the entire house shuttered as the mech fell onto the roof, the solar panels there snapping, and then the entire house crunched and broke as the second floor collapsed onto the first. Sal found himself sliding on the wooden floor towards the downed mech, who he could now say was a red Autobot, when the rest of the roof fell on his head to knock him out.
When he woke up minutes later it was to the sound of Lune frantically calling his name and the sound of shifting wood.
"Sal, Sal!"
He wasn't buried too deeply and stuck a hand through two beams to wave. There was the sound of scrambling and then the beams on top of him were moved and he was greeted to the sight of Lune's face next to that of his neighbor John.
With their help, Sal was able to get out of the ruins of his house, glad that the Bot who had fallen into it hadn't landed on top of him. He just got back up to continue fighting, paying Sal's collapsed house no more attention than a stranger's fallen house of cards.
Once out of the ruins of his home, Sal could see only half of two walls were left standing. He briefly considered going in for his camera, he had to deliver those pictures for his client after all, but was distracted by Lune pressing one of his kitchen towels to his forehead.
"You're bleeding." She explained.
And indeed he was. Sal let Lune doctor him up a bit while he watched the fight. There wasn't any clear winner yet, but the black Bot who just released shot had to be Ironhide. The cannons were a dead giveaway.
"Lune, what are you doing here?" Sal asked. She wasn't exactly a close neighbor and he was sure her family could use her help.
"I was at the farm when I saw the fighting, I wanted to make sure you were safe."
"You should go check up on your family Lune," It was a light chastisement, she would have had to go past her family's house to get to his from the farm.
"I wanna stay here." Shyly, she slipped her hand into his. Sal didn't pull away, they were close in age (if you didn't count the years he had been frozen) and he couldn't say he hadn't noticed her. But the middle of a droid death match was no place for a budding relationship. And as soon as he could, Sal was going to drop the whole Sal persona he had lived the past five years and start a new one elsewhere. Without Lune. Because he needed a girl who would follow him halfway around the world, and she couldn't. Not with her mother waiting for the caner to win. He also didn't want to get a girl so deep into his problems again.
Sal turned to give Lune a sad smile, giving her hand a small squeeze. Let them indulge, if only for a few moments.
He turned to John. "We need to get everyone out of here."
The fighting was out in the fields still, but as was recently shown by a mech landing on his roof, the town wasn't safe. His house was on the outskirts, but the battle was getting closer and it was only a matter of time before another mech was thrown into someone else's kitchen. Or on someone. A lot of Samsingers had gathered in small groups outside to gawk.
"What are you suggesting?" John asked, acknowledging Sal's bid for leadership.
"The mainland. They prevented us from getting off Samsoe before, but now that they're fighting…I think we have a chance of leaving. All the aliens are probably fighting."
John nodded. "I'll get a head count and start helping people pack." He headed off toward the nearest cluster of Samsingers.
"Lune?"
"Mmm?"
"Start calling people from other towns, tell them what's going on."
The blonde pulled her phone out from her jacket pocket, still holding Sal's hand as she thumbed through her contact list.
Sal turned his attention to watching the battle. That had to be Megatron Optimus was sharing blows with, and Ratchet's opponent was someone he didn't know. The medic sent a quick glance over his shoulder towards the village and Sal instinctively stepped behind Lune to hide. He didn't see Bumblebee, the ex-Camaro had driven off after the black Ford Falcon whom he suspected was Barricade.
It hurt, and yet didn't, to see the Autobots again. The positive memories he had, mostly of times with Bee, were now a bittersweet poison. Over the years he had found himself wondering if Bumblebee had ever saw him as a true friend; the scout certainly didn't put up a fuss about handing him over to Ratchet, playing along with his death. Nor did Optimus; after all they had done for each other. Or not. He never really got to thank Optimus for believing in him, got to apologize for getting him killed. But to be honest, thoughts of such actions had come and gone from his head. After being frozen for over 17 years, he didn't owe any Bot anything. And if he ever got his hands on one of them –
"Sal?" Lune asked, slightly panicked, and he forced himself to stop grinding his teeth and loosen his grip on Lune's hand.
"Sorry," He slipped his hand out of hers and used it to fish his own smartphone from his back pocket to call other Samsingers he could count on to take action.
A/N: Poor Sam, Sideswipe broke his house. ;_;