Chapter Four
(S1, Ep4) More than Meets the Eye:
Liz walked by with a smile on her face as she grabbed a clean silver platter, she spun in a circle. She stopped and looked at Russell, who was used one of the bridge telescopes to look over the river and see the carnival, from the Dinner. The oven dinged as she pulled out some freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. She put a pair of oven mitts on before she reached inside and grabbed two dozen of them.
She balanced them on both of her oven mitts and set them onto the countertop, she grabbed the silver platter and then shut the door of the oven. She then grabbed a muffin and placed it onto the white plate. She then opened the doors and walked to Russell place, shutting them with her foot as she went.
She could hear him sigh as she got closer, "My old friends. Fun, excitement. So close and yet so far."
"And who deals with transforming robots trying to keep this planet safe?" Liz asked as Russell turned to her in shock, "You do my friend. I got you breakfast."
"Chocolate chip muffins?" Russell asked, a smile on his face.
Liz chuckled shaking her head before she handed him the plate, "What do you think?"
Liz walked away as Russell shouted in joy before grabbing the muffin she shouted behind her, "There's more back here. Tell the Bots, I think they would like to try some of my-"
"Chocolate Chip muffins?" Denny asked as he popped next to Liz.
Liz sputtered, "How did you-yes, there are Chocolate chip muffins in the-"
Russell sighed again as Fixit rolled next to him, he tried to encourage the young member, "You know what I did for fun when I was the only conscious Bot on the prison ship? Heh, nothing. And lots of it."
Russell again sighed before he started his climb down, as Liz handed him the plate Fixit remarked, "That really didn't help, did it?"
"Yep," Liz popped the "p" and again added, "Russell, try to tell the others about the muffins, I'll get you one Fixit."
As Liz walked away Denny added, "I know a cure for boredom. There's a football field down the road where the neighborhood kids play. Why don't you check it out?"
"Uh, sorry, dad, uh," Russell stammered as he picked up the muffin with one hand, before he pointed at his head, "No helmet."
"Hm," Denny thought for a second before he had a "lightbulb" moment, Russell was lead to the Dinner as Liz came back out.
She handed a muffin to Fixit who looked at it before she commented, "You eat it, Fixit. Not study it."
"Will it kill me?" Fixit asked, staring at the muffin, "Does it have any chemicals that can cause harm to any part of my system?"
"No, just worry about eating more," Liz warned, "I don't know what a sugar high can do to a robot, but I know from experience form Russell it is not pleasant."
"I will only eat one," Fixit replied before rolling to Denny and Russell, Liz followed as Fixit took a small bite. He brightened as he swallowed, "Hey these are actually pretty good. How did you make one?"
"Lots of measurement and time," Liz smiled, before she trailed off, "If you want, I could teach you…."
"Really?" Fixit smiled as he and Liz walked/roll to the two males, "I would love to learn how to make such delicious food."
"First off, it's called baking," Liz told him, "Second off, I can teach you all I can about cooking also."
Denny placed a old football helmet onto Russell's head, who grunted before he complained, "This thing's a hundred years old."
"I know, right?" Denny replied enthusiastically, "It belonged to Bronko Kowalski, the Poughkeepsie Pile Driver!"
"Really?" Liz asked, an eyebrow rose as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Wow," Fixit sounded before he sniffed the hat, he then commented, "It has a very, uh, interesting odor, heh."
He then rolled away as Liz followed behind him, she turned around to see Russell being shoulder hugged by his father as he bragged, "Your going to rule the turf."
"Rule it or eat it?" Russell asked sarcastically under his breath but Liz heard and snickered before following Fixit to the main controls.
A man kneeled onto the earth, he grabbed some grass from the ground before bringing them to his mouth. He chewed them his brown mustache bouncing as he did so, he muttered, "Hm. Nitrate levels perfect."
He stood up his dark green hat and neck chain bouncing as he did so, he wore a light green jacket with a white shirt. He also had dark green gloves on his hands and tan shorts with a key chain to the right of him. He wore a pair of sunglasses with white socks and brown boots. A golf cart was parked next to him as he boasted, "A masterpiece! No, no, no, no. A grass-terpiece!"
He laughed at his own joke before he jumped into the driver side of the golf cart and drove off, behind him in a lake a orange car bursted out from the waves of the pond and landed onto the earth. The robot looked like a lobster as he boasted heavily, "Yes! Three bodies of water crossed in twelve nano-cycles. This planet's no match for-Huh?"
In the distance cutting off the lobster looking Decepticon, the four autobots charged Grimlock transformed into his T-rex mode as Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Sideswipe transformed out of there alts and into there robot modes with ease. The lobster Decepticon fired a beam from it's jaws at Grimlock and hit him square in the helm sending him flying into Sideswipe. The two made a large hole in the soil as the two groaned in pain, the lobster Decepticon boasted, "Whoo-hoo! Four more Autobot takedowns and I will own the record!"
Two guns cocked in front of him as Bumblebee and Strongarm pointed there chosen weapons at the Decepticon, Bumblebee told him, "Hate to ruin your day, Bisk, but that one you just threw is actually a Dinobot."
"Fine," Bisk told them after a slight pause, "I can still tie the record."
He fired his light beam from his mouth at Bumblebee, who screamed as he was taken down by the strong shot. Strongarm fried her weapon at Bisk, making him turn with his light beam weapon sending her flying back with a scream. Sideswipe charged at Bisk but stopped short as he realized Bisk turned his way and fired his weapon at him. He dodged to the left and Bisk followed him with the light beam, which cut two trees in half behind him. He then jumped as the beam followed below him and brought out one of his swords. Bisk closed the light beam down and brought one of his claws up to defend himself from the oncoming weapon. Sideswipe swiped the sword at Bisk who blocked him with his claw, Grimlock came from behind Bisk and swung his tail. Bisk blocked that attack with his claw, shouting, "Double-defense mode! I am a master at this."
As he spoke the last sentence he blocked another attack from Sideswipe sending him back slightly. The two continued there attacks relentlessly, but Bisk simply deflected or block there blows with his claws. Bumblebee and Strongarm stood up and stared at the scene for a second, before Bumblebee growled, "I help save the universe from Starscream, Megatron, and Dark Energon. I refuse to become the laughing stock of some bug-eyed Bot's gaming club."
He then touched the side of his helm, telling the two members of the team, "Sideswipe! Cascade with Strongarm and me! Grimlock, splash down maneuver! Go!"
The four of them enacted the plan, Strongarm and Bumblebee fired their weapons on either side of Bisk, who simply blocked the blows with his large claws. As Bisk let down his guard slightly, Sideswipe surprised him with kicking him in the face he landed and jumped back from Bisk's pede as Bisk shouted, "You think I don't know how to beat this attack? It's just up, up, left, down, claw, claw!"
Grimlock then roared before jumping into the air, he flipped in the air crying, "Cannonball!"
He flipped multiple times like a side hula hoop dance before crashing into Bisk. Hard. Bisk grunted with pain as Grimlock sat on him like a pony. Sideswipe and Strongarm walked up beside the defeat Decepticon as it's helm fell to the ground in defeat.
Strongarm stated, going down on one pede, "You are so under arrest."
"Score one more for us," Bumblebee told them, "Let's get him into a stasis cell."
The four of them lifted the Decepticon up and carried him away from the scene, the man that drove the golf cart came back to drop his mouth open in shock as he saw the large holes in the ground from where the Decepticon and the Autobot team fought along with torn areas where grass was tore up from the ground. He got out of his golf cart and went to largest hole, he then sobbed as he went onto his knees, "My grass-terpiece."
Liz watched from the trees as Russell hid behind the base pole of one of the football field watched as two boys were on the side of a girl and boy team. The girl noticed and looked at the two boys before shouting, "Hut!"
She caught the ball in her hands and dodged as two kids tried to tackle her to the ground, Liz smiled as the girl threw the ball to the boy on her team but it landed in the endzone. Russell stepped out from the pole near the ball. The boy on the girl's team shouted, "Hey, kid."
Russell pointed at himself before he grabbed the football and walked over, the boy was tan with black hair and dark brown eyes, he wore a white and blue football shirt with blue jeans and some tennis shoes, he told Russell, "We're a player short and-hey, don't you live in the junkyard?"
"Uh," Russell replied as the other boys sized him up, he stammered, "It's more of a vintage depot for the, uh-"
The girl that threw the ball had orange blond hair and amber eyes, she wore an old army helmet over her head as with goggles on top she had a yellow shirt with a red jacket with no sleeves. She wore tan pants with tan shoes, she also had a pair of red earrings on her ears. She commented, "What's with the hat? Looks like it could have belonged to Bronko Kowalski."
"Uh, actually, it did," Russell replied, handing the girl the football.
Liz smiled, as she whispered to herself, "Sounds like he hit it off pretty well and has a new crush."
"That's retro-brilliant," The girl smiled, before she added, "I'm Hank."
"I'm Russell," Russell stammered.
The boy leaned up to Russell's ear, straining Liz's hearing but she could hear him whisper to Russell, "Her real name's Henrietta. Ahh!"
Hank slammed the ball into the boy's gut before she told Russell, "This is Butch. His real name is Cynthia."
She brought the two in to a group huddle as she told them, "Listen up. Ruby Chicken Nasty Fungus on hut. Break."
"They really need to work on these names," Liz shook her head in sadness, as she thought more, "It's always number, kids, in football. Numbers, not weird names like 'Ruby Chicken Nasty Fungus'. Numbers."
Butch ran to do whatever Hank said before she pushed Russell in the direction of another guy. He shouted from shock before he asked in Hank's direction after the guy smiled evilly at him, "Uh, w-what exactly does that-?"
"Beagle! Cheeseburger Nine! Hut!" Hank yelled, ignoring Russell's question.
She stepped back as Russell was pushed down onto the ground by the kid he was meant to block. He charged at Hank and stop the toss, his team roared as Russell spat out grass from his fall. Liz winced in sympathy at Russell, as Hank gave him a hand she told him, "Good block, Rusty."
He groaned as he stood up, he barked out in annoyance walking back to base, "Ugh, I knew this was a mistake!"
Russell then threw the helmet onto the ground as Hank looked at him with sadness in her eyes. Liz walked out of the forest as the kids saw her they opened their mouths before she rushed by Hank she placed her hand onto her shoulder saying, "Sorry about Russell, but I will be taking back the helmet. Maybe I can change his mind, wouldn't be the first time I did it either."
"Are you his mom?" Hank asked.
Liz laughed, "Oh no, I'm like a sister to him. I known him since he was born. Besides, that's the reason I came, to support him."
"Your really cool," Hank told her.
Liz looked at herself, she had dark blue jeans, black tennis shoes, a dark blue t-shirt with her leather jacket on, her hair was loose and straight but she smiled back at Hank, "Your cool too. See you next time!"
The other kids watched as she flipped in the air, grabbed the helmet and raced after Russell's direction, she threw the helmet at Hank who caught it. Hank smiled ear to ear as Butch muttered, "That was pretty cool for a girl that is."
Hank smacked the helmet into his gut again as he added on, "Plus she's hot."
Liz arrived back to hear Grimlock tell his story of how they got the captured Decepticon, "Whoo, and Bisk is tossing us around with his giant claws. I mean, Whoosh! Whoosh! So I nailed him with the Dino Demolisher. Pow! It was, it was epic."
Liz looked to Bumblebee who shrugged at her as Fixit replied, "Sounds exciting. I think the hearing about what all of you do is the most filling, billing, thrilling part of what I do. Gosh, I'd love to get out in the field."
Strongarm pulled up the rulebook, Liz realized, and read, "Rule 669-B: 'Mini-Cons must remain at their duty stations at all times.'"
She closed the rulebook as Sideswipe remarked, "Doesn't seem like you were built for the tough stuff anyway."
Fixit lowered his helm in sadness, causing Liz to place a hand on his shoulder, Bumblebee told Fixit, "Uh, look, that's not to say you don't play a key role on our team."
"Just not as key as lead tailpipe kicker," Grimlock bragged, "Am I right? Am I right….?"
He trailed off as the team glared at him, mostly Liz who crossed her arms and gave him a perfected look of We-will-have-a-long-talk-about-this-later. Fixit then told them, "Well, e-excuse me."
"Fixit-" Liz started to say, but Fixit rolled off, she grumbled in annoyance at the depressed Mini-con returned to his post.
Russell than returned and Denny asked, "How'd it go?"
"They've all been playing together a really long time," Russell lied.
As if on cue, Hank's voice along with a ringing of a bicycle bell drifted towards them, "Rusty, where are you?"
Liz smirked as Denny asked with a smirk of his own, "Rusty?"
"Oh, no," Russell replied looking at the robots, Liz looked at the others as well, if they were spotted by Hank they would have more trouble than good.
Bumblebee noticed the uneasiness and quickly told the team, "Camo."
Sideswipe jumped over a isle or two as Strongarm transformed, Grimlock jumped onto her roof as she roared away. Bumblebee then transformed and caused a bunch of dust to kick up as he rolled behind Denny, Russell, and Liz who leaned against him. Hank came in with a bicycle with a side trailer, it had a flag at the end. She moved the dust away from her eyes as the two smiled, Liz rolled her eyes before she went to get a warm muffin from the oven.
She pulled off her goggles to see Liz walking back with a muffin in hand, the two males leaning onto Bumblebee, and Bumblebee who was parked behind them. Liz handed her the muffin, "Thought you might be hungry."
"Thank you Liz," Hank replied as she looked at Russell, Denny, and Bumblebee, she then commented, "Wow, Griffin Motors' 1995 Wind Blazer. Nice."
"Yep, that's my car," Liz lied, giving the two human males and the one male in disguise a wink, Bumblebee turned his mirror in the direction of Hank as Liz walked up to Denny.
Denny then remarked, "Actually, that's-"
Hank interrupted him as she told Russell, "You ran off after one play."
"I ate five pounds of grass!" Russell complained.
"So?" Hank replied, "Practice in the morning, game in the afternoon. See you. Oh and Liz?"
"Yeah?" Liz replied, looking at the girl as she leaned against Bumblebee's hood, Bumblebee restrained himself from kicking on his cooling fans so that he thinks that he was not a sentient car/robot but a normal car.
"You probably want to do more tricks to stun the rest of the gang," Hank told her, "Butch told me your hot."
She then drove away as Bumblebee sputtered in shock that a human boy would call Liz hot, Liz on the other hand laughed for a minute before calming down. She rubbed Bumblebee's hood before she walked over to Denny.
"So can I call you Rusty, now?" Denny asked.
"No! And Liz, how come you met the others?" Russell replied, turning to Liz.
"I may or may have not been spying on you to see how your first game went," Liz replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
Russell shouted at her, "What?!"
"Hey, at least I knew how your first game went, and I also know who you like Mr. Loverboy~" Liz teased before she ran off in the direction of the Dinner.
Russell shouted behind her, blushing slightly as he gave into chase, "I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH! LIZ! GET BACK HERE!"
"Um, should we stop those two?" Bumblebee asked Denny as Liz and Russell were playing a game of chase.
Denny replied after a short pause of thining, "Nah! Let them run."
Denny then walked off, but Bumblebee remembered Liz saying he was her car. Even though it was a small lie, it made him beam with happiness at the thought that Liz would call him her car. Including the fact that she seemed to wink at him when she replied, it made his spark soar until he realized something which made him pause in transforming in happiness. He was falling in love with Liz. A woman who he met only several days ago. Who was brave, compassionate, caring, protective, pretty, skilled, and just down right perfect. He snapped back to reality when he saw Liz come back to him, he transformed and asked, "Did Russell get you?"
"Nah, I gave him another muffin," Liz replied with a shrug, "He stopped chasing me after that."
Bumblebee nodded before he asked shyly, "Hey, Liz may I have a….a…."
He trailed off when Liz looked at him, her purple flecks seem to sparkle in her green eyes as she looked at Bumblebee, who cleared his throat and asked, "May I have a m-muffin?"
"Sure," Liz replied, "So can the others, Russell was suppose to tell you. Oh that reminds me, I have to set up cooking classes for Fixit. He wants to try baking and cooking which-OH BY THE BEARD OF THOR! I forgot! I left the stove on!"
Liz ran back in the direction of the dinner at a dead sprint, Bumblebee laughed before he too followed Liz to the dinner.
"Disaster averted," Liz replied as she brought out freshly smoked ham, Russell and Denny leaped from there seats and charged towards the ham as Liz carved slices for the bots and humans, she told Denny, "Almost forgot that the stove was on. Thankfully I got here in time to save the ham."
"And for good reason," Liz grabbed the five plates full of ham, mash potatoes, and green beans before listening to the rest of what Denny was saying, "Your one of the best cooks here, Liz."
"Thank you kind sir," Liz balanced the five plates of food on her hands and head, "Now pardon me, but I must give the bots there dinner."
She backed herself out of the doorway before she called out to the robots who were doing there own things, "Hey Strongarm, Sideswipe, Fixit, Grimlock, and Bumblebee! I got dinner served for you!"
"Oh sweet, human food for the first time," Sideswipe replied walking over as she handed him a plate.
Strongarm smiled as Liz handed her a plate also, "Thank you Liz."
"Your welcome, Strongarm," Liz replied, she then handed Grimlock his plate, "Be careful Grimlock, these plates are fragile."
"I'll be gentle," the Dinobot replied as he took his food.
Fixit rolled down as Liz gave him a plate, "I'll teach you tomorrow if you aren't tired."
"Thanks," Fixit replied sadly as she gave him a plate, he rolled away sadly.
Liz sighed before she saw Bumblebee staring at the ground, he was standing farther back from the group who were chomping down on the food Liz gave them. Liz sighed before she started her walk over to the upset Bot. He leaned on one of the many isle and seemed to be in deep thought before Liz called out by his pede, "Kinda quiet huh?"
"Hm?" he asked shocked, before he looked down and saw Liz, he then remembered the question and answered, "Yeah, it is pretty quiet."
A pause swallowed the two, Liz tapped her foot for a second before she announced, "I got you dinner."
She showed him the plate, which he looked at the contents before he grabbed the plate with a gentle servo, he replied, "Thank you."
He looked at the food before Liz sighed, "Okay, I know a look of troubling thoughts when I see one. What's on your mind?"
"It's nothing," Bumblebee replied quickly, Liz rose a eyebrow at his response. Bumblebee gritted his dentas together as he watched her reaction.
"Psh, Bee you lying," Liz replied before she asked, "I know it. Now tell the truth, please?"
"Alright, alright," Bumblebee replied with a sigh, he then answered truthfully, "I was thinking about….Optimus Prime."
"The robot we met when Denny and I were almost squished to death by Underbite? That Optimus Prime?" Liz asked, Bumblebee cringed at the mention of Liz being almost crushed by Underbite but Liz didn't noticed.
"Y-yeah," Bumblebee replied as Liz turned her gaze onto the leader, "I was a scout on his team at the time, I also had no….voice at the time either."
"So you were mute?" Liz asked, cocking her head to the side.
Bumblebee stared at Liz before he shook his head as he replied, "No. Not really, I could communicate in cybertronian though I just couldn't speak in your language."
"Hm," Liz mused, "That's pretty interesting, but how did you managed to get your voice back. If it's not a touchy subject."
"I kinda almost….died," Bumblebee replied quietly.
"WHAT?!" whispered/shouted Liz as she stared into the optics of Bumblebee with wide and terrified eyes.
"Yeah, Megatron shot me in the spark chamber three times but I fell into the omega lock which healed me," Bumblebee replied with a shrug before he chuckled, "I ended up killing Megatron with the Star Saber. He only came back to life because of Unicron."
"Unicorn?" Liz asked, she bit the knowing comments and the part about Unicron having a champion with Loki to herself. She had to fake it that she never once heard the word.
"No," Bumblebee chuckled, "You sound like a friend I knew once, Miko. She said the same thing, no it's Unicron. The Chaos Bringer."
"He sounds…..nice," Liz commented.
"He isn't friendly, trust me," Bumblebee remarked.
"So you became a lieutenant how?" Liz asked, before she added, "I'm sorry if it's a touchy subject, but i'm just curious."
"It's alright," Bumblebee replied, he told her, "Optimus Prime made me into a warrior before he sacrificed himself to the core of our planet, Cybertron, with the matrix of leadership and the Allspark so that life could begin again on our live planet."
"You miss him," Liz asked quietly after a pause took over the two, "Don't you?"
Bumblebee sighed before he started his explanation, "He was like a father to me in your terms, he always made time for me when I first lost my voice box, the mechanism that allows me to talk to you, but he also always listen to me when he could. Sometimes when I was a street cop on Cybertron, I often thought of what Optimus would think if he saw where I was at. Even now I wonder if he's proud of me, wherever he may be."
Liz nodded before she looked at a piece of metal, it was a old clean pipe. Her eyes flew wide as she saw Optimus Prime staring at her with blue optics in the reflection of the metal pipe. He winked at her before he smiled at Bumblebee, she could feel the beaming pride from the smile which made her smile at Bumblebee. Bumblebee looked at the ground, as Liz watched Optimus fade in a light blue hue.
"Well," Liz commented causing Bumblebee to shift his look over to her, as she remember the smile on Optimus's faceplates, "I think he would be very proud of you Bumblebee. Very proud."
Bumblebee smiled at the comment, he could swear that somewhere Optimus was smiling. From wherever he was, he was proud of him and that made some of the fear of disappointing him ebb from him.
A couple of hours later and night had already befallen the scrapyard, no moon was out tonight only the stars. Thus this night made Liz uneasy, she could feel something bad was going to happen tonight. As if her thoughts were transmitting around to others, Bumblebee also felt on edge about tonight as well.
As if both their thoughts were proven right, Fixit computer showed a Decepticon symbol, it beeped in red near the airfield. Liz groaned, "Instincts were proven right….again."
"Decepticon, a few miles away," Fixit told the team and Liz.
Liz froze as she felt a chill in the air, which meant that a shade was around. She returned to a relax posture as she slid next to Bumblebee who shouted, "Let's roll and recapture."
Everyone looked at him with a look that the phrase was not good, Strongarm gave him a look of encouragement along with a thumbs up. Liz took a exaggerated deep breath causing everyone to look at her as she told Bumblebee, "No. Just No."
"Yep, Yep, not feeling that one either," Bumblebee remarked with a small sheepish smile, until he turned serious and ordered, "Come on."
"I have to go Bumblebee," Liz remarked as she felt the presence of a shade nearing the forest outside of the Scrapyard, Liz knew how to sense shades since the war reached her at a young age. No one could forget the freezing chill up your spine and the scent of chaos and death that if close enough you could smell.
"Where to?" Bumblebee asked as he slowed down to pick up Liz with a gentle servo before running off again.
"Just outside of the Scrapyard," Liz replied, Bumblebee seemed to be debating mentally as it showed on his face, Liz replied, "I'll be fine. It's you I should worry about, your going after fugitives that could kill you. I'm just going to go in the forest and just take a walk."
Bumblebee smiled on the inside as his spark hummed in his audio receptors as he replied as they neared the entryway of the Scrapyard, "Alright. Just be safe."
Bumblebee placed Liz gently on the ground before he transformed, the others were behind him but we're grabbing there weapons of choice. Liz smiled before she whispered to him, "You be safe also."
She then kissed her fingers and placed them on his hood, Bumblebee forced himself not to lean into the half kiss. Liz then turned around and waved at he others before taking off into the forest and after the Shade that haunted the forest area.
Bumblebee transformed back as his cooling fans hit full blast once Liz exited the area, the others walked in to see a small light blue blush on Bumblebee's cheeks and a soft hum of cooling fans. Sideswipe snickered, "Bee? You alright?"
"Huh?" Bumblebee replied before he turned around and realized his team was behind him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Come on."
Bumblebee arrived with his team behind him on a abandon road, the airfield was in the distance. The radio tower was near the entrance along a few rows of hangers for the aircraft. Bumblebee turned to his team, telling them, "Sideswipe, Strongarm, let's move in for a closer look. Vehicle mode."
He, Strongarm, and Sideswipe transformed into there vehicle modes, Bumblebee was leading then Strongarm and Sideswipe was taking the rear. Grimlock asked, "What about me?"
Sideswipe angled his mirror at Grimlock as he replied, "You're a little too dinosaur-y for sneaking around, big guy."
"Look," Bumblebee stated, "Hang back, secure the perimeter."
"Will do," Grimlock replied as the three of them drove towards the airfield, once they were out of earshot he scratched to top of his helm asking, "What's a perimeter?"
"Split up," Bumblebee told the three of them as they got into a line, their headlight's being turned off, Bumblebee was still in the lead, "If you spot the fugitive, comm the rest of the team immediately."
The three entered into the airfield and Sideswipe and Strongarm went to the left and right as Bumblebee went forward to check the hangers. He drove by one which had its doors closed and passed the second one with it's doors open. He stopped a head slightly out of the doorway, he angled his mirror back and stared at the open door. A object clattered onto the ground, making Bumblebee backed up and turned to face the entrance to see the Decepticon throwing equipment from a airplane that looked like a commercial airline. The Decepticon mumbled, it's red paint job gleamed slightly in the light as his four yellow eyes stared into the airplane's engine, "Where are you, you stinking-There you are, you little beauty."
He grabbed a aircraft gyroscope, inspecting it carefully until headlights shone in his face making him look up at Bumblebee's vehicle mode. Bumblebee transformed as the Decepticon faced him, he grabbed his gun and pointed at the Decepticon as he remarked, "Playtime's over."
The Decepticon placed the equipment on the ground as he asked in a cocky tone, "Do you really think you can take us all on, Copper?"
"I know I can take you, Decepticon," Bumblebee confirmed, until he realized something and asked, "Wait, did you say 'us'?"
The Decepticon smirked before splitting apart into five red spider robots with two pairs of yellow eyes each. They crawled towards Bumblebee before jumping onto him and shocking him with red electricity, Bumblebee yelled in pain as the shocking continued. He then grunted as he tried to pry one of the red bugs off his chassis who was trying to shock him in the neck.
"Stop!" Bumblebee shouted, "Come on!"
The Decepticon laughed as Bumblebee shouted again in pain from being shocked by the red spiders. Strongarm and Sideswipe rolled in on the scene as Bumblebee stood up and tried shaking them off of him, the two of them transformed as Strongarm grabbed her weapon and but a face mask on.
"Having a little trouble, boss?" Sideswipe asked mockingly, as he grabbed one of his swords and his face mask slipped on.
Bumblebee grunted before he panted, "See how funny it is after they sting you."
Bumblebee again shouted in pain as one of the Decepticon spiders stung Bumblebee in the neck, two others jumped onto Sideswipe and Strongarm knocking there weapons away and stinging them also. The two tumbled to the ground, shouting and grunting with pain. Bumblebee saw his weapon and went onto his knees. He reached out his servo to grab it when one of the red Decepticon spiders stung him in the servo making him shout in pain.
Grimlock busted through one of the hanger walls shouting, "Oh yeah!"
Another red Decepticon spider landed on his muzzle and started to shock/sting him with the red electricity. The lead spider laughed as everyone shouted in pain or from shock, he then shouted to the others, "Oy, bring it in!"
The four spiders crawled towards the large hole, as they left the robots who were too tired to get up from all the stinging they received. Bumblebee slowly pushed himself off and gasped as the lead red spider Decepticon showed off the gadget before crawling with it's friends to the large hole in the hanger wall. The five spiders crawled out of the hole as Bumblebee stood up quickly, they went to a drainage hole in the ground. The four other red decepticon spiders jumped down as Bumblebee went through the hole in the hanger wall.
"Down the hatch," the lead red decepticon spider remarked as it dropped the equipment before it too jumped down. Bumblebee tried to grab it but it jumped before Bumblebee could grab it. The others soon joined him as he peered inside the dark hole.
"Scrap!" Bumblebee barked angrily as he stood on his knees, before he asked in the same annoyed tone, "Who is this Bot?!"
Liz climbed over a down tree as she felt the shade move in a southward direction, away from the scrapyard. She groaned as she changed the direction again before she froze, the shade was gone from her senses. The only way she could sense the shade would be if she shapeshifted in her wolf form and track it's scent.
She groaned as she transformed, a white light consuming her body, "This better be worth it."
A red wolf with a cream color chest, paws, tip of the ears and tail was standing with it's bright green eyes open. The cream color fur when down the chest under the belly and under the tail. A black heart was on her chest near her collar bone. Her nose was black and her tail was extremely fluffy. She put her nose down on the ground before running in the direction of chaos and death. The wolf was Liz and she was a Alpha Class werewolf which meant that she had full potential of not losing control of her wolf side and can not destroy her clothes in the process as she could teleport them back on her body and off when in wolf form. She can also control the shapeshifting and can shapeshift into her wolf side whenever she wanted to.
Liz ran on her four legs and her strides became longer as she was just southward of the base. She slowed down when the scent of the shade started to fade until there was nothing left. She looked around and saw that she was in a clearing surrounded by tall oak trees with no light from the moon.
Liz shifted back in her human form with her clothes on her body, she thought of a sword in her hand as she touched the black heart on her collarbone, as the sword appeared in her right hand she realized it was the sword that Nike gave her. She twirled in in the air before she held it in a relax position.
She walked around and used her trained senses on her surroundings, suddenly she felt the shade. Right. Behind. Her. She uttered one word as she spun on her heel, "Scrap!"
A black and red creature collided with her sending both tumbling on the ground, Liz grunted as she collided with the ground on her back. The black creature had blood red eyes with no pupil and red paws. It's mouth gleamed with sharp yellow teeth as it tried to snap at her neck, Liz dodged her head to the right before she kicked the shade behind her by kicking it in the stomach.
It spun and attacked at Liz who back flipped and landed on her feet, dodging the claws of the shade once more. She tighten her grip on the sword before she spun on her heel and roundhouse the shade in the face. The shade's face snapped back from the impact and it fell to the the ground. It snarled at her, "You are strong."
"I have to be," Liz replied coolly, shrugging, "You aren't strong as I thought you were. Too bad, I was looking for a challenge."
She smiled mentally as the shade snarled at her and launched at her head. She swiped making it dodge to the left if it wanted it's head cleanly cleaved off it's shoulders.
The shade snarled, "You sure are a weakling if you think I'm not strong enough to do this."
It jumped into the air and landed on the sword, Liz smirked before she tilted the sword to the side. The shade landed on the ground but Liz swiped at its face, leaving a scratched on it's left cheek. It gasped in shock at the movement before snarling and clawing Liz in the shoulder, Liz gasped in pain before she stabbed the shade in the shoulder. The shade let go with a loud howl of pain.
"You little bitch!" the shade shrieked in her ear as Liz blocked a blow from the shade, "You hurt me!"
"Kinda had to," Liz mumbled as she took a step back from the repeating blows, blocking every single one.
Until suddenly her back hit a tree trunk, she gasped and looked back at her for a second. She then thought of a quick plan and smiled to herself before she saw the shade lower down and launched at her. She stood there as it came closer and closer, until at the last second she ducked low to the ground and rolled away from the small tree. The shade hit the tree with full force, the tree trunk snapped and hit the shade in the head. Liz dodged to the side once more as the tree came barreling down on her position.
The tree kicked up a lot of dust, Liz batted away the dust until she could see the tree with no shade in sight. She groaned before she looked around, she then let her senses once more roam and felt no shade in sight. She made the sword disappear with a simple thought before she groaned as she felt the blood seep down her shoulder.
She asked herself as she pressed on the bleeding wound, "How am I going to explain this to the others, especially Bumblebee?"
Liz arrived back to base before the others came, Denny and Russell came rushing towards her at seeing the wound to her shoulder. Denny told Russell as he moved her hand out of the way, "Russell get the first aid."
Liz looked at the wound to see three scratch marks on her shoulder, bleeding profusely. She hissed in pain as Denny touched the wound, Russell came back and asked, "How did you get those wounds?"
Liz lied, "I accidently may or may have not passed a cougar and it attacked me because I was close to her den."
"Huh, we might need to tell the police," mused Denny.
"Nah," Liz replied, with a shrug as she placed a bandaged on her injured shoulder, "We just need to stay away from the south edge of the forest near the scrapyard and don't leave food out anymore. She's taking care of her young."
"If you say so," Russell replied.
Bumblebee and the others came in with and quickly transformed, Bumblebee sighted as the others trudged back through the scrapyard to Fixit. Denny and Russell followed the other bots as Liz tapped on Bumblebee's pede. Bumblebee looked down and saw the bandaged on her shoulder, he asked with worry, "What happened?"
"Oh this?" Liz asked, she then replied, "I kinda ran into a cougar. Long story."
Bumblebee rose a brow in her direction as she asked, "What happened on your mission?"
"We kinda lost the Decepticon, he changed into smaller versions of decepticons," Bumblebee sighed, "We lost him in the sewer system."
"Weird," mused Liz as she stared at Bumblebee, "You know what, we should probably go to Fixit maybe he has intel on this Decepticon."
Bumblebee nodded before he picked up Liz with his left servo and walked towards the command center, Liz sat in his servo one leg over her other. Bumblebee and her arrived last but were in front of the computer screen as it showed the decepticon. Liz read some of the writing on the computer screen and hummed in curiosity.
"He's a Combiner named Chop Shop. A one-man heist crew with a list of crimes as longa s Alpha Trion's beard," Fixit remarked, before he got side tracked, "Have you seen that beard? It's more like a steel carpet, actually, the way he just-"
"So Chop Shop's a thief, up to his old tricks on Earth," Bumblebee interrupted.
"I smacked-whacked-hacked into the local law enforcement database and found a list of property stolen within an appropriate radius," Fixit told the team, Liz listened in very closely as he continued, "At first, there didn't seem to be a pattern, you know, copper wire, kerosene, space heater, insulation, storage tanks, computer chips, and now an aircraft gyroscope. But taken together, there's really only one thing Chop Shop would need all those parts for."
"A spaceship," Bumblebee remarked.
Strongarm added, "He wants off-planet."
"Can't say I blame him," Sideswipe commented, sitting on a rock, Liz glared at him for the comment before turning back to the command center.
"ChopShop appears to have everything he needs except fuel," Fixit added.
"Hey Denny, remember that plant that was on the news, I don't know, a couple years ago?" Liz asked, staring at Denny.
"Yeah, that place is a manufacturing plant," Denny added, "It's in the next county but it synthesizes liquid oxygen."
"Security's tight though," Liz added, she looked to Denny who nodded, "Too tight for oversize aliens to just walk up to without getting spotted."
"So we don't send in the aliens," Bumblebee told Liz and Denny as he asked the two, "Denny, Liz, would you be up for-?"
"Yes!" Denny replied, doing a mini happy fest.
Liz simply nodded, "I can try."
Bumblebee nodded at her reply before he turned to Fixit, "Fixit, we might need your tech expertise too."
"Me?" Fixit asked excitedly.
Bumblebee told Fixit, "You said you wanted to get out in the field."
Strongarm added, "Though it is against regulations."
Fixit then looked uneasy before he asked Bumblebee, "How dangerous are we talking about, say, from, I don't know, one to forty?"
"If Chop Shop makes it off-planet," Bumblebee explained, "Who knows what trouble he could cause? He needs to be brought to justice."
A pause took over the area as Fixit then replied, "I'll do it."
Grimlock then transformed into his T-rex mode as he shouted, "Boo! Let's go bug hunting!"
"Throttle down, Grimlock," Bumblebee told Grimlock as Liz leaned into his pede, "Without a Earth-based vehicle mode, you'd stick out like a sore cyber-carpal."
"But-But Fixit doesn't have a vehicle mode," pouted Grimlock.
Denny remarked, "He's not gonna need one."
Chopshop's spider selves climbed out of the sewer systems and into the facility that Denny and Liz were talking about with the Autobot team. They climbed over some equipment, doing a pyramid move, before the lead robot spotted a tank truck that was hooked up to synthesize liquid oxygen.
"Fill her up, boys," He ordered the others as he was in front of the group on top the of the pipe that was hooked up to the tank truck, "Get that liquid oxygen pumping."
Grimlock was staying in the scrapyard like Bumblebee told him to, he was stacking cars into a pyramid but it had no base for it to be supported. He placed the final car with delicate and balance, he stepped back to admire the handiwork done. Russell sighed as he walked in, Grimlock stopped what he was doing and turned around. The pyramid of cars fell behind him, Grimlock looked over as Russell widen his eyes at the action slightly.
Russell then asked, "Where is everyone?"
"Off on a mission," Grimlock replied before he asked, "How was football practice?"
"Well, today, I played a position called 'way-back'," Russell told Grimlock, then he looked at the helmet as he groaned, "Ugh, I'm gonna quit."
"Rusty!" Hank's voice reached the two's ears.
"It's Hank!" Russell remarked in realization before he turned to Grimlock and shouted, "Hide!"
Grimlock muttered as he looked around for a hiding spot big enough to hide him. He searched frantically, before he decided to act like a statue and stayed put. Russell looked at him as a creaky bicycle wheel alerted him and he smiled as Hank slid in front of him.
He shouted in shock, "Whoa!"
"Good practice this morning," Hank told him with a small smile.
"Hank, I know the team was making fun of me," Russell commented with a unimpressed look.
"Aw, everyone plays 'way-back' once. It's a rule. Don't worry, you just gotta find your place on the team," Hank told Russell, she then noticed Grimlock who hadn't even move a millimeter, "Hey, nice dinosaur statue."
"See you at the game, later," Hank told him as she turned around on her bike and biked off, "We need you!"
Once she was out of sight, Grimlock lowered himself and told Russell, "I like her."
Russell sighed and looked away from Grimlock and the place where Hank biked off, he didn't need Liz to tease him anymore then she had to.
Strongarm was driving with Liz in the backseat, Denny in the drivers, and Fixit on the passenger side. He was dressed in a pretty good disguise, he was going to act like a human. They were getting closer to the plant when Bumblebee's voice floated from the comm link, "Sideswipe and I are in low profile spots outside of the plant, Strongarm. We'll move in for the collar as soon as you flush out Chop Shop."
"Copy that," Strongarm replied, "I will not forget to flush."
The three of them stopped in front of a guard, Denny got his fake ID out as the window rolled down. He spoke in a disguise voice, showing the fake ID, "We're with the Hazardous Utility Bureau."
The guard looked at the ID with a skeptical look, Denny then asked putting away the ID, "Question One, do you always take this long to open the gate during surprise inspections?"
The guard tipped his hat and opened the guard rail that was preventing anyone to get through, Strongarm rolled up the window as Denny looked at Fixit with a small smirk. Fixit smiled back his sunglasses keeping his blue glowing optics covered. A wig and a hat was on top of his helm and a brown coat. He had a questioning look on his face until Denny looked at him with a smile. He smiled back when he realized they fooled the guard. Liz leaned back into the seat and kinda wish was with Bumblebee slightly. The guardrail rose and Strongarm drove into the plant.
Russell had his hands on the helmet which was on his lap, he was looking down at it on top of a blue pickup truck as Grimlock walked over, he asked Russell, "Aren't you gonna be late?"
"What's the point?" Russell asked as he got off of the blue pickup trucks' hood, he then added, "I stink, like Bronko Kowalski's helmet."
Russell then threw the helmet on the ground, the helmet clattered on the ground as Russell looked at it. Grimlock then told him, "You heard what Hank said. The team needs you."
Russell then shook his head, as he told Grimlock, "No, they don't."
"Hank wants you there," Grimlock tried again to get it through Russell's brain that he was on the team, "She said so. There must be something you can do to help."
"There's nothing!" Russell shouted before he walked over to the helmet and kicked it hard, "Ahh!"
The helmet flew in the sky going out of the Scrapyard and into the forest, both Grimlock and Russell leaned forward in shock and whispered, "Whoa."
Strongarm, Fixit, Denny, and Liz were looking for Chop Shop when Fixit remarked, "Fieldwork is fun. Let's find more humans we can fool."
Liz laughed at the enthusiasm quietly before Strongarm hit the brakes suddenly sending the two up front forward. Liz managed to stay on her feet but turned to stare at the decepticons that were working on filling the tanker up.
Strongarm then whispered, "Contact."
The five red decepticon spiders turned to see Strongarm, the leader told the others, "We've been made. Bug out!"
The red decepticon near the pump, turned the wheel to stop the flow of liquid oxygen, another one pulled the pipe from the tanker as he nodded to the one on top. The one on top of the tank truck walked over to the one in driver side of the truck, he nodded at the one in driver side. Strongarm transformed throwing the two out who landed on the ground hard and groaned from the impact. Liz managed to land in a crouch and slinked into the shadows.
Strongarm shouted as she charged at the decepticons, "Chop Shop is making a run for it!"
Bumblebee shouted through the comm system, "On our way!"
Strongarm slid in front of the decepticon that was trying to make a break from the pipeline to the truck. She punched the ground before she punched the deception in the chassis, pinning it onto the ground. The other decepticon spiders jumped out from there spots and transformed into Chop Shop, but the problem is the one that Strongarm was holding was actually one of his arms.
Chop Shop realized this and groaned, "Righty, you no-good widget! What am I supposed to do now?!"
He glanced at Fixit and Denny, but mostly Fixit because he wasn't in his disguise anymore. He held up the coat with gasp along with Denny who flinched back. Fixit peeked from the coat once Chop Shop stopped walking and was right in front of him. He reached out for Fixit who tried to run from it, but Chop Shop managed to get a hold on him causing him to pick him up.
Fixit shouted, "H-Hey!"
"Fixit!" Denny said from the ground, he fell over from when Chop Shop walked over to them from fear.
Chop Shop made a move for Fixit to go on his arm, "No, no, no!"
Chop Shop placed Fixit on his arm making him scream, Strongarm was still fighting the struggling decepticon when she looked over to see Fixit on Chop Shop's arm. She muttered, "Oh, scrud."
"No! I'm not even supposed to be here!" Fixit shouted in his predicament, Liz still stayed in the shadows getting closer to the truck. She could probably hide it and use it as bait if she could find the keys on the stupid tank truck.
"Hang on, Fixit!" Strongarm shouted.
Chop Shop lifted Fixit, who shouted trying to evade Strongarm but failed, and hit Strongarm. She went flying in the air and landed far away from the two, Fixit commented with a wince, "That's gonna leave a mark."
"Righty, take the wheel!" Chop Shop shouted at the decepticon spider making Liz gasped in realization.
She ran out of the shadows as the Decepticon climbed into the window and into the driver side. He pressed the gas once he was secured with the wheel as Liz launched herself at the cab. Denny came running only to see Liz grasping at the handle of the cab with all her strength. Chop Shop along with Fixit, climbed onto the back of the tank, as Liz tried to get a grip onto the top of the cab. Strongarm noticed the headlights as the Decepticon named Righty laughed, Strongarm ducked to the side at the last moment to see Liz starting her climb onto the roof.
"The Suspect has Fixit! Uh, make that, Fixit is now partly the suspect and Liz is on top of the cab!" Strongarm shouted into the comm unit, "They're coming your way, Lieutenant."
Righty ran through the guard rail, breaking it as he nearly hit the two mechs that were in their car modes. Liz made her way to see Bumblebee swerve along with Sideswipe. Bumblebee gasped, "Liz?!"
They turned around, their tires squealing as they did so. Liz heard Chop Shop laugh as they tried to get away. Bumblebee and Sideswipe rolled forward as Strongarm joined, Denny looking detrimen to get Fixit and Liz back and safe. The three, excluding Denny, quickly caught up when Liz smiled as she gripped the top of the cab and leaned down to kick Righty in the helm on the driver's side. Bumblebee pressed himself further to get to Liz.
Righty saw a shadow and looked up to see Liz, Liz smirked as she hollered, "Light's out!"
She swung herself in and kicked Righty in the helm sending him flying out of the passenger window. Chop Shop shouted, "What trickery did you guys do?!"
Liz stomped on the brakes but they weren't working, Liz groaned, "What did they do to this poor truck! Break the brakes?!"
She then went to the handle as Bumblebee ordered, "Sideswipe, Strongarm, get on Chop Shop's left flank! We'll try a pincer maneuver."
The three of them did as they were told, Denny following Strongarm, as Fixit screamed, "I wasn't built for this!"
Chop Shop flipped to the left but at the same time Liz pulled the parking on the handle of the truck. Chop Shop went sliding forward as did the truck but Liz was maneuvering it pretty well. Bumblebee smiled at Liz's actions, he mused as he rolled up to her side, "You are pretty smart with trucks."
"Aw, shucks Bee," Liz muttered as she worked, until Righty climbed up on the passenger side and was getting prepared to launch at Liz
Bumblebee saw this and shouted, "Liz behind you!"
Liz turned around to see Righty flying at her head again knocking the parking back into drive sending them flying forward.
"No!" Bee shouted in fear as he raced the truck, he saw Liz disappear from the driver side and shouted, "LIZ!"
Chop Shop kicked away Sideswipe making him go spinning closer to Strongarm. Denny gasped until he grunted as Strongarm evaded Sideswipe, Sideswipe came back trying to do the maneuver again.
Liz grunted as she and Righty fought over the wheel, both making the truck swerve right or left. Liz kicked Righty in the chassis sending him to the passenger side. She smiled as she did something none of them suspected she pushed the stick into reverse before she pushed the stick into parking making the truck brake sending Chop Shop and Fixit backwards, but then she changed the gears to go forward.
Chop Shop shouted, "Righty! Get back on the wheel-argh!"
He nearly fell off that time, he glared at the cab where Liz was driving. If it wasn't for the constant swerving left and right from the pathetic human, they might have already been off the planet by now. Liz heard something near her head and looked over at last minute. Righty hit her in the head with one of his legs, hard. Liz screamed in pain before blacking out in the driver side. Righty pulled her out of the driver side and laid her on the passenger side, as he retook the wheel. Bumblebee saw the truck go straight and thought of the worse, he told the others, "Liz is in need of help! We gotta think of something and fast."
Liz was indeed unconscious, Righty took the wheel and drove underneath the bridge. The rest of Chop Shop rose Fixit up as he gasped. He went through the whole entire cement bridge, making him hurt slightly but the concrete fell as the others swerved to stop underneath the bridge. The large blocks of concrete fell on top of them burying them.
One thought passed through Fixit as the three of them drove off, he remembered Liz's scream of pain, "What happens to us next?"
Bumblebee transformed first and shoved off the huge pieces of concrete with little to no difficulty. Sideswipe also transformed and both helped Strongarm with a large piece of concrete. She was still in her vehicle mode, something that made it easier for Strongarm to protect Denny. The three of them looked around before Sideswipe sighed, "Can't win 'em all."
"We haven't lost yet," Strongarm remarked, before her head lights turned purple and light blue tire tracks were shown, "First rule of perp identification, memorize your suspect's tire tread."
Denny reamarked from inside Strongarm, "Liz was inside of that truck and she never screamed that loudly in pain before. You don't think…?"
Bumblebee shook the haunting images out of his head and the terrifying scream of pain as he replied, "No, but we should hurry. Fixit and Liz are both in danger."
Liz groaned at the throbbing headache, she opened her eyes slowly to see Fixit infront of her. He sighed in relief but then Chop Shop helm popped down, Liz gasped but then grunted. Her hands were tied behind her, she struggled to get out of them.
"Good luck, midget," Chop Shop remarked, "You are now our prisonior, which means that those binds are meant for you."
Liz growled, "You won't get away with this."
"Don't all the hostages say that?" Chop Shop asked, Liz looked down, he added, "I thought so."
"But then you should know that they are always right?" Liz asked with a smirk as she looked.
Chop Shop scowled, before he smirked too and laughed, "Oh, she's a quick minded one I can tell you that much."
He leaned down to her level as she was kneeling, he told her, "You know what, I'll make a deal with you, if you join me and my crew I'll let your little friend go."
"And what if I say no?" Liz asked.
Fixit gasped as he asked, "Your actually thinking about it?!"
"Oh shut up you little widget," growled Chop Shop at Fixit, he then told Liz, "Then your friend sticks with me and you would be force to come with us."
Liz thought until she saw movement at the edge of the forest with headlights, she smiled mentally as she replied, "You know what?"
"What?" Chop Shop asked.
She smirked, "You really need to learn sarcasm."
She then managed to flip backwards and land on her feet, she added as she ran, "Better catch me if you can."
"Who forgot her legs?!" Chop Shop yelled as he hurriedly told the other two, "Righty and Lefty, you both get that fuel going."
His left arm popped off and he smirked as he watch her go deeper into the shadows, "We're going hunting, boys."
Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Sideswipe pulled up where the tracks led to a abandoned plant, they turned off their headlights as Denny got out of Strongarm. The three transformed and crouched low, Strongarm stated, "Trail leads inside, sir."
"Denny," Bumblebee told Denny, who looked at him, "Stay back."
"If you say so," Denny replied with a shrug.
"Keep your optics open," Bumblebee told his team members, his facemask slipped on as did the others as they walked towards the plant, "We're on Chop Shop's turf now."
Liz panted as she slowed to a stop, she rubbed the rope against a sharp piece of metal that she spotted before she heard the snap of the rope coming off of her wrist. She smiled as she rubbed her wrist gently before she saw Chop Shop coming closer to her spot.
She sighed as she dropped the rope and ran off behind the hanger, she saw that Chop Shop seemed to go to the back of the hanger to look for her. Instead she went to the entrance to the hanger and ran into a large pede. She looked up to see Bumblebee looking down at her, she smiled and waved, "Hi?"
"Liz, you okay?" Sideswipe asked as he came from Bumblebee's right leg.
Bumblebee opened his mouth in shock that Liz managed to escape Chop Shop and was looking fine, she rubbed the back of her head as she replied, "Other than a minor headache and a nasty scratch, yeah i'm fine."
Bumblebee smiled as he leaned down, "That's good, I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."
"Hey, don't worry," Liz smiled at Bumblebee, she touched his cheek, "Besides Fixit is still in there and I got Chop Shop distracted so we can take a look in."
"Does he know-?" Bumblebee started to ask.
"Nope," Liz interrupted, "But I believe that hanger has the rocket, or this one."
The three went to the first hanger that Liz pointed, inside was a large rocket that had two large thrusters. Righty and Lefty were together working on fueling the large ship, Sideswipe looked at the large ship as Liz gripped onto Bumblebee's armor tighter as she saw the large and imposing ship.
Bumblebee noticed and picked her up gently, Sideswipe then commented, "Sweet ride."
Bumblebee clutched her to his chassis gently as he remarked, "Okay, not so much his turf as his mission control."
Liz nodded until they heard one of the Decepticon spiders move very loudly their way, thus making everyone turn away from the door. Chop Shop was in front of them as he glared at Liz, Liz squeaked in alarm before Bumblebee hid her from Chop Shop's view. She looked at him through the servo's of Bumblebee as he stomped towards them.
"You don't want us on this rock, and we don't wanna be here," Chop Shop told them, he then pointed at them as he made the team back up, "So what's the glitch, coppers?"
He then brought back Fixit, who shouted, "Whoa, Mayday!"
As he brought down Fixit, the others scattered away and backwards. They jumped as Fixit was swung below them. Liz bit her lip until she looked at the truck, she smirked to herself until Sideswipe was punched with Fixit and Bumblebee and Strongarm, with Liz in servo, were kicked away by Chop Shop. Bumblebee tighten his grip on her but gravity or fate thought otherwise and she slipped out of his grasp. Chop Shop stood over her and smile, he told her, "You know what, I might just take you to be my girlie."
"What?!" Liz shouted as Fixit mouth gaped in shocked, she then stood up and told him, "I don't know who you think you are, BUSTER, but I am no one's girlie."
"Oh really?" Chop Shop smirked as he asked, "Says who?"
"Says us," Bumblebee growled as Sideswipe stood up and nodded at Bumblebee, Strongarm pointed her gun at Chop Shop but Bumblebee stopped her pointing her gun down, "Don't shoot! You could ignite the rocket fuel!"
"And you might hit me!" Fixit shouted.
Sideswipe charged at Chop Shop and brought his sword out, he swung down but was blocked by Fixit's servos. Fixit grunted as Chop Shop seemed to be controlling Fixit, thus he couldn't fight back very well. Liz studied this from underneath Chop Shop. He used Fixit to throw Sideswipe into a beam, Fixit shouted to him as he landed on the ground hard, "Sorry Sideswipe!"
"Ah!" Strongarm jumped and tried to kick Chop Shop in the helm but failed miserably, being hit by Fixit because of Chop Shop, she screamed, "Ah!"
"I'm sure that'll heal, Strongarm!" Fixit shouted at his fallen teammate a bit dizzy as Liz escaped Chop Shop.
She ran towards Bumblebee as he checked on Strongarm, who groaned in pain, Bumblebee shouted at Fixit, "Fixit, fight back!"
"Please Fixit," Liz murmured as she saw Denny come running from the treeline in his disguise.
"Aah! I-I-I can't!" Fixit told Bumblebee depressingly, Chop Shop smirked as he looked at Bumblebee.
He lifted his arm up, allowing Lefty to go onto his arm, as he told Bumblebee, "We'll be taking our girlie, thank you."
"Good luck with that Hot Shot," Liz called back to him as she peeked her head out from behind the truck's cab.
Bumblebee charged at him but Chop Shop turned and hit him with Lefty and then kicked him sending him grunting and flying. Liz gasped before she shouted running towards Bumblebee, "Bumblebee!"
Chop Shop picked her up and placed her on his shoulder as he leaned down and picked up Bumblebee with Lefty, he then shocked Bumblebee earning pleas from Liz, "Please, don't hurt him! You can have me just stop hurting him!"
Chop Shop stopped and stared at Liz, who had tears streaming down her face as Fixit gasped. Chop Shop smirked at her answer as the other Decepticon, Righty, clapped and laughed in glee. Denny looked to Liz like she was insane but crept up behind the Decepticon with a pipe. He lifted his hands above his head and hit with a cry out of his lips as he hit the Decepticon with the pole. Righty turned and laughed as he sized up Denny, who dropped the pipe gave a sheepish look and ran.
Bumblebee groaned, "Liz, I can handle it. Don't give up your freedom….for me."
"Oh but I give my word I won't shock him," Chop Shop bargained for Liz, "If you stay with me forever as my girlie."
"Thank you," Liz whispered towards Bumblebee, but before Bumblebee could tell Liz anything to change her mind she told Chop Shop, "I will."
He then pushed Bumblebee backed onto the ground with his foot as Liz cried, "Hey! You said you would keep your word, that doesn't mean you can hurt him."
"I said I wouldn't shock him," Chop Shop smiled at the deception, Liz looked at him in shock as he continued, "You aren't that smart aren't you?"
Liz looked at Bumblebee, tears in her eyes. She wanted to protect him as Chop Shop shouted at him, making Fixit see Liz start crying in fear, "We ain't never going back in no cage!"
"Fixit, the team needs you," Bumblebee told Fixit.
Fixit look down at the ground before he looked at Strongarm, who was struggling to get up. He then turned his gaze onto Sideswipe who groaned also as he tried to sit up. He looked to Bumblebee who was struggling under the might of Chop Shop, then finally he looked at the broken and hurt Liz. Blood was seeping out from the makeshift bandage that he made, it trickled down her face and mixed with the spilling tears as she stared at Bumblebee. Fixit thought Liz was a friend, no a sister. And the worst mistake Chop Shop did, he made her cry.
Fixit gasped in realization as Chop Shop swung him back and tried to hit Bumblebee. Bumblebee closed his eyes as a choked sob went out from Liz, making Fixit take control of his body. He stopped and struggled to control Chop Shop's movements towards Bumblebee, earning a gasped from Liz.
"You work for me, pally!" Chop Shop growled towards Fixit.
Fixit smirked as he turned around and punched Chop Shop in the helm with his right fist, "I."
He punched again with his other fist, "Work."
He then punched Chop Shop in the helm again with both of his fists, "For my team."
"Huh? What? Why are you hitting yourself? Huh? Why are you hitting yourself?" Fixit teased as he hit Chop Shop with his fists, helm, or body.
Sooner or later Fixit managed to knock over Chop Shop, once Chop Shop was on the ground, Liz slipped off his shoulder and landed on the ground with a grunt. Chop Shop shouted as he popped off Fixit, "Unh! Get off you mangy skid!"
Fixit sighed as he grabbed Liz and dragged her to Bumblebee, he asked him, "You can handle the fieldwork from her, right?"
"We'll manage," Bumblebee told Fixit, he glanced at Liz who had tears in her vision still not from sadness or fear but in happiness that everyone was alright, "Thanks Fixit."
Bumblebee then frowned at Chop Shop who stood up, Bumblebee charged and did a uppercut in the helm to Chop Shop. Making Chop Shop feel the pain what Bumblebee felt as seeing Liz cry for him and the others, to see her bleeding, and most of all how he scared him by taking her away from his sights. No one on his watch was going to hurt his Liz.
Chop Shop went flying form the shock and hit the liquid oxygen freezing him, Righty saw what happened to his friends and scurried away. Denny allowed the large Decepticon to go and watched as he fled the scene. The others came closer around the frozen decepticon, everyone looking at Fixit but most of all. Fixit got a hug from Liz in happiness that he was alright and also that he helped the team.
"Wait, wait, wait," Grimlock interrupted Fixit in the middle of his story, the cut to Liz's head was gone since she and Bumblebee went to see Parker the same night that they defeated the Decepticon, "You did what?"
"Yeah, that's right," Fixit told Grimlock as Bumblebee looked at Liz with his arms cross and a smile on his lips as she leaned against his leg in bliss, "Punched Chop Shop. Yep. A couple times, you know."
"Pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow," Fixit glitched which Sideswipe hit him gently with his leg, which Fixit looked gratefully at him for, "Unh. It was epic. I mean, it doesn't need to be repeated, but it was epic."
"If it wasn't for Fixit," Bumblebee added, with a proud smile, "We never would have captured Chop Shop."
Liz smiled at Fixit, who beamed with pride as Grimlock added, "Guess you can't spell team without an F."
Liz looked at Grimlock before she started to chuckle at his antics, he continued, "And, uh, um is it one X or two? Oh, that reminds me. There's someplace we have to be."
Once the six of them were situated on the hill, all of them transformed and started to watch the game. Sideswipe was now in possession of the robot binoculars as he watched the game. Liz was on Bumblebee's shoulder as she could see the game better and also Bumblebee asked her if she would like to be on his shoulder for a bit.
Strongarm grunted as she tried to get the binoculars, "Give it! Come on, it's my turn!"
Sideswipe retorted, "Is not."
"Uh, dit-dit-dit," Grimlock remarked pointing out with one of his claws, earning everyone's attention away from the two, "Crunch time."
Hank told Russell and Butch, "Last play of the game. Down by two. Any ideas?"
"I have one," Russell answered before he whispered the plan into their ears. They both smiled as they took the field on.
Russell shouted, "Hut!"
Butch threw the ball to Hank who passed it to Russell who was on the side but then jumped to the back. Hank was now facing two people and did something the two boys never thought they would see. Hank acted like a chicken using her arms as chicken wings and making chicken sounds. Butch was a head of them as Russell bounced the ball down before kicking it hard into the football goal post.
Russell's team cheered as they got a few points and won the game. The three robots cheered as Liz got off of Bee's shoulder to see the goal, he too jumped up and cheered in happiness. Denny cheered also but Liz smirked and muttered, "Go get her, tiger."
Hank and Russell high fived until Hank asked, "Hey, are you any good at basketball?"
Russell gave a look of shock but then smirked and walked off. Liz smiled to herself before she yelled, "Whoo!"
"Rusty! That's my boy!" Denny shouted as the bots whooped and cheered.
As the sun set over the gang, everyone was telling Russell how great his kick was and how they were really proud of him. Everyone was around him except Liz, she was on top of the command center smiling at Russell, Bumblebee noticed and sighed before he walked up to her position.
She was too busy looking at the sunset that Bumblebee walked up without her noticing. She smiled as the sun rays hit her hair, sending it again into a fiery blaze. Bumblebee stared for a second before he commented, "Nice view ain't it?"
"Oh," Liz realized spinning around to see Bumblebee, "Bumblebee, I didn't see you there."
"Mind if I join?" Bumblebee asked as he walked up beside her.
She patted the space to her side before she answered, "Of course."
Bumblebee sat as Liz's legs hanged off the edge, the two sat in a uncomfortable silence until Bumblebee complimented her, "You did a lot ot help us."
"All I did was run," Liz muttered, "What did I do to help you then if I just ran from Chop Shop?"
"Well for starters you managed to defeat one of his henchmen," Bumblebee told Liz who blushed, "Evaded and out thought Chop Shop until we could get there, and you stood up to him for me."
Liz blush turned more from pink into a rose red and looked away as Bumblebee asked, "The question is….why did you do that for me? I could've handled it."
"I just-," Liz started before she took a deep breath and explained, "Look, Bumblebee, you lost something during a war. A vital piece of you, your voice box. I….lost something similar."
Bumblebee then looked to Liz, as she brought her legs to her chest, "Haven't you noticed that I haven't told anyone my last name? The only ones who know it are Jack, Miko, Rafael, Denny, and Russell. No one else."
"Wait, you know Jack, Miko, and Raf?" Bumblebee asked.
"Yeah, they still live in Jasper, it's mostly rebuilt after a 'experiment' went wrong," Liz told Bumblebee who winced at a memory, she chuckled, "It's actually almost totally rebuilt, I used to live there due to one of my jobs. That's where I met Raf, he's a science teacher in robotics and computers. Jack also works there as a teacher. He teaches History. While Miko, well I met her after Jack and Raf told me about her, she was gone for a couple of days with a cold. She was a music teacher, teaching kids all about music. My job was across from the highschool and that's how we met. Jack and Raf are still in contact with me, and sometimes Miko would just be-"
"Miko?" Bumblebee asked with a smile.
"Yes, but-how do you know them?" Liz asked, shocked.
"Team Prime, Raf and Jack were younger and we met when we were fighting Decepticons," Bumblebee replied to Liz's question, "Arcee, one of the members of team prime at the time, accidently let Miko see her along with Jack. Raf was the one of the few who understood me. When I lost my voice box, but that doesn't answer the question of why you didn't tell us your last name?"
Liz went quiet taking a deep breath she told him, "Because I'm the last member of my family left alive."
"What?" Bumblebee asked in shocked, "What happened?"
"They were murdered a long time ago, apparently they couldn't kill a baby," Liz half lied and half told the truth. What Liz was saying was true, they were murdered and died about a year after she was born, "I was only a year old when it happened so I don't know much about my parents."
"Do you know your last name?" Bumblebee asked, "At least you still have their last name."
"Rodgers," Liz answered, "My full name is Liz Amelia Rodgers."
She then told him after a lengthy pause, "You see, the only ones who know about that are you, Russell, Denny, and the three in Jasper. Russell and Denny are my family, but you. Your my friend Bumblebee."
"When I saw you getting shocked, it was breaking my heart," Liz told Bumblebee, who stared at Liz in shock as he saw tears flow down her face, "That's why I told Chop Shop I would stay with him if it meant that you would be out of harm's way."
"Liz I-," Bumblebee stopped as he took a deep breath, "Hear me out alright?"
"Okay," Liz answered.
"Liz, I," Bumblebee told Liz as he picked her up and leveled her to his optics, "I almost had a spark attack when you screamed in pain from when Chop Shop hurt you. When I saw you crying for me, when I saw your pain it made me….hurt for you. I felt so much guilt at the time that I couldn't protect you. I couldn't help you. I couldn't do anything for you."
Liz's tears stopped as she took a breath in, Bumblebee continued, "I don't want to be rude but I want to protect you, Liz. From all harm, and now that I know some of your past. I really want to help you and protect you from anything now."
"Bee," Liz stopped his rant and touched his cheek with her hand, he looked at the movement before she smiled and hugged his neck cables, "Thank you."
"N-No problem," Bee told her as he hugged her back.
"BEE? LIZ?" Both perked up at the shout that echoed the scrapyard, "Where are you two?!"
Bumblebee sighed before he told Liz, "Duty calls."
Bumblebee then transformed and pushed Liz into the inside passenger seat of him, he then realized what he did and said, "Uh….?"
"Bee, you do realize we have to get down from here right?" Liz asked with a small smile.
"I knew that," Bumblebee retorted but then Liz started to laugh at his retort, Bumblebee was silent before he too started to laugh at their predicament.
The two were laughing as the stars and moon twinkled on them. As Bumblebee rolled down the command center, the left shoulder of Liz Rodgers glowed slightly. The glow soon stopped in a few seconds and on the right shoulder blade of Liz, a red autobot symbol was put on her. Hidden but there as a sign. A sign that Liz would have to figure out soon.