Trickster 3

Recognition

A Transformers Prime Fanfiction

June Darby drew in a sharp breath of fear as she beheld the scene before her. A scared and battered metal warrior held a gleaming razor sharp blade to her son's chest; a white hot fury glittering in the mismatched eyes. The man beside her who had introduced himself as a federal agent was standing stiffly and alertly watching the scene with the focus that only comes from long experience in combat. The two older humans stood thus until the strange female began to tremble. Her arm fell and her glowing blue eye fell away from the youth in front of her. Through all of this Jack stood calmly and never broke contact with the warrior's gaze.

"Arcee," he spoke softly as she fell away from him, "please-"

The Cybertronian snarled something viciously in her native tongue and spun away. She staggered back to the wall and collapsed into a fetal position, head turned to the gouged concrete. Jack moved to follow her, a sick pain twisting in his gut at the look on her faceplates but something drew his attention to Optimus and the warning look he saw in those cerulean optics stopped him dead.

"I think it would be best if you explained yourself now," The Prime stated placing his bulk between the broken femme and the humans. "You most certainly have my attention."

"Mine too," Agent Fowler growled, but the edge was gone from his tone. "From Arcee's reaction I'm guessing whatever you said was spot on. Now why don't we all grab a seat and you can tell me what you claim is going on here?"

"I don't know," Jack stated shaking his head, "but this is not the way things are supposed to be."

"And what do you mean by that?" the older human demanded as he guided them to a stack of crates.

"Look, this morning Arcee picked me up at my house the same way she's done for months now. We got to school and met up with Miko and Bulkhead. Bee had already dropped off Raf earlier to help out with some school project. Cee was supposed to pick me up but when she didn't I got worried and came out here to see what was going on."

"Miko and Raf?" Fowler asked pulling out a notebook and pencil.

"Miko Nakaidai and Rafael Esquivel."

"And these kids will back up your story?"

"No, Raf didn't seem to remember anything and Miko," Jack glanced at his mother nervously, "I don't think…"

"She was murdered several weeks ago," the nurse stated flatly.

Jack took a deep breath and pressed his hands shakily against his face. Something hard and cold was joining the twisting in his gut. The stress of the past several hours was catching up with him now that he was sitting down. He could guess what had befallen Miko if this was real, if it all wasn't just some terrible dream, but that didn't bear thinking on. He shook his head and glanced up sharply at the retired Ranger sitting across from him.

"You know exactly what happened to her don't you," he said softly, staring intently at the man. "There's no way you would have let an international case that big slip under your radar."

June looked at the two males nervously, sensing the challenge that seemed to hover unspoken between them. Over them both was the massive form of the alien. The woman started a bit at the thought but it made sense. What else could the creature be? It occurred to her that she was not nearly disturbed enough by his presence; even injured the red and blue creature seemed to radiate calm. A movement drew her attention back to the two humans as the older finally smiled grimly and slipped the notebook back into his pocket.

"You know things kid, I'll give you that. You're not just some punk who found this place by accident. Now why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"I told you," Jack stated in frustration, running his hand through the hair on the back of his head. "I have no idea what's going on. Everything is just wrong, different than how it is supposed to be."

"Back up there kid," Fowler shook his head. "I'm not looking for something that recent." The agent leaned forward and sized up the raven haired youth intently. "Tell me what's going on around here," his hand swept out to include the entire base and beyond.

Jack nodded in understanding, and looked to the form towering above them as if gathering strength from his presence.

"Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," he glanced over at the trembling femme and his voice caught, "Arcee; your second in command and master scout. You come from the planet Cybertron; a place ravaged by millennia of civil war."

The human continued with a brief description of all the Autobots had told him of their journeys to Earth and their interactions with the humans once there. His mother listened as he detailed what sounded like so much science fiction to her. She kept glancing up at the clear blue eyes that watched her son intently, seeking proof that these creatures really existed. When he was done Fowler let out a snort and leaned back.

"Did I get something wrong?" Jack demanded, not liking the subtle look on the Agents face.

"All of your details were correct son, right up to the point where you started talking about the kids living it up at the base. Now Prime never mentioned anything like that to me," the older man glanced questioningly upwards and the Cybertronian shook his helm. "So as far as I'm concerned it didn't happen."

"Then how could Jack know all this?" June asked.

"That is the million dollar question," Fowler replied. "See, there are three groups that would know that stuff; Uncle Sam's boys, the Autobots, and the Decepticons. Now there is no way you're a soldier kid, the Bots don't recognize you…"

"I am not working with the Decepticons," Jack spat out furiously.

"Can you prove that?"

"How would I even start?"

"Tell me something the Cons wouldn't know."

Jack sat back on his seat and then turned to face Optimus.

"Back before the war, before the council granted you the title of Prime, when you worked in the Iacon hall of records as a data clerk you had a window. It faced the Crystal Gardens of Iacon. Even though they were only a pale imitation of the true Crystal gardens of Praxsis you loved to watch the sun rise over them. You told me," Jack swallowed down a growing lump in his throat, searching the intractable face of the giant for some sign of recognition, aching when it didn't come. "You told me once that the closest thing you had ever seen to that in all your travels, on any planet, was the sunrise over the Grand Canyon."

The Cybertronian suddenly knelt low until his faceplates were mere inches from the youth. A scared and battered servo gently reached out and touched the dark head.

"When did I tell you this?" the deep voice asked gently.

"You took me there," Jack stated awkwardly, glancing at his mother and almost stopping then stiffening his shoulders and plowing on, "to the Grand Canyon. After I offlined a Cybertronian for the first time, you took me there to help me deal with it."

June drew in a sharp breath and felt her stomach clench again. She might not understand a lot of what was being said but she could figure out what that meant. Fowler narrowed his eyes as he watched the interactions between this Darby and the Prime. All of the ex-Ranger's instincts were telling him to trust the kid, they had been from the start, but his tale was so outlandish. The man shook his head and concentrated on the silent interaction between the raven haired youth and the ancient warrior.

Jack was staring intently down at his clenched hands while his knuckles slowly turned white. Optimus had remained silent, simply watching, as if waiting for some signal. The youth began to sweat despite the cool air of the cave and his breathing grew a little ragged. June was about to interfere when one of his hands came up almost of its own accord. In one smooth motion the Cybertronian extended a servo and caught the rising human appendage just short of Jack's neck.

"Don't," the Prime insisted gently.

"Don't what?" Jack asked; unspoken hope in his voice.

Instead of replying the Prime tenderly ran his servo up the youth's arm and stopped at his neck; optics resting on faint scaring to the surface of the skin. The human twitched as he felt the familiar sensation of a scan running over him and the dormant nanobots responding.

"Defensor?" the Cybertronian murmured in shock.