::commlinks::

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers

Summary: Abandoned by the Decepticons until she can prove herself again, Alice decides to go against Megatron to find a way for peace. To do so, she accidently enlists the help of Leo Spitz. Can they put the past aside and find a way to attempt to end the Cybertronian War?

Rating: T

Before It's Too Late

Chapter 3: Humanity

"Leo, could you explain to me how you're planning to get us to South America, even though I do not have a passport?" Alice asked. They were standing at the airport, trying to get some tickets for a flight to Peru leaving in a few hours time. "Isn't it kind of essential to have one to go through a border?"

"Oh." Leo said. "Can't you just... make one or something? Steal one? Transform into one?"

"Very funny." Alice snapped. "I suppose I could steal one, but it isn't going to look like me at all."

"Well... sneak on board the plane and hide in the cargo hold until we get to Peru or something." Leo shrugged. "That way, you won't have to worry about having a passport and you won't have to sit with me on the flight, meaning I can get some sleep because I won't have to answer any of your questions about what Sam told me."

"If you tell me, it might trigger something else and I'll be able to take us to the right place – for all we know this energy source could be anywhere along the Amazon River, at the source, the delta, the middle... it could even be behind a waterfall somewhere." Alice insisted. "You have to tell me everything you know. What if Sam missed something out, and I know something that he doesn't? It might be some life saving information."

"I'm not telling you anything." Leo said, folding his arms. "The moment I tell you what Sam said, you'll run away and probably bring doom to the world. You're a Decepticon. Doom is what you do."

"Fine, don't tell me anything." Alice snapped. "But you'll be sorry when we end up in the middle of a river, surrounded by piranhas that are going to eat you and we never find what we're looking for."

"Fine." Leo smiled. "So, are you going to sit in the cargo hold?"

xXx

Bumblebee had done as Sam had said. He had followed Leo to the airport, and he seen him with someone – a girl. There was something wrong in the area. Bumblebee was picking up Decepticon signals from the airport, but he wasn't sure where exactly. Maybe Sam was right, and the Decepticons were forcing Leo to work for them. If the Decepticons had, why hadn't Leo tried to tell Sam or any of the Autobots? If he had told them, they would've been able to help. They could've fought the Decepticons and told them to back off... but this didn't seem like Megatron's work. Megatron despised humans, and it was likely that he was undergoing repairs after Egypt, as was Starscream.

Bumblebee considered charging into the airport, all guns blazing, to rescue Leo from the clutches of the Decepticons, but he didn't know for sure the Decepticons were the ones making Leo do it. Then he picked it up. The Decepticon was with Leo. Whoever they were, they were standing next to Sam's roommate. Bumblebee activated a proper scan and tracked the signal. The girl. It was something to do with her.

Forget Sam, I'm calling this in. Bumblebee thought to himself, patching himself through to Optimus Prime on Diego Garcia. ::Optimus, this is Bumblebee::

::Bumblebee, what's going on?:: Optimus replied.

::There's a Decepticon with Leo. They're in disguise as a human female. I think she's the same one as before who was at the college... Sam called her Alice I think::

::Are you certain that it's a Decepticon?::

::Yes::

::Why is Leo with her?::

::I'm not sure. Sam thinks that the Decepticons might be using Leo to help them try and find something in South America:: Bumblebee didn't get a response from Optimus for a few minutes. ::Optimus, are you there?::

::I'm on my way to South America:: was Optimus's reply.

xXx

In the end, Alice had resorted to stealing a passport and turning it into one of her own, by replacing the picture with one of her, which he and Leo had taken in a booth a few minutes before. Somehow, they had managed to fool security – probably through the large wad of cash Leo had given them from his government account – and were now sitting on a plane that was preparing to take off and land in Peru.

Alice was sat beside the window, with Leo on her other side. She was staring out of the window in awe. The only plane she had ever flown in was a Seeker – and she hated flying. Usually, she had her eyes closed and was screaming. She shuddered as the plane began to move, and jumped when a warm hand was laid on hers. Her head snapped and around and she saw Leo staring straight at her, smiling slightly.

"You don't like flying much, do you?" Leo asked.

"No, not really." Alice replied, a faint smile on her lips. "It's stupid, isn't it? A Decepticon – an alien robot – being afraid of something as petty as flying? It doesn't really make me that scary, does it?"

"No." Leo said. "But it's human to fear. Maybe you're not as much of a monster as you say you are. Maybe you're just... I don't know... a bit psychotic?"

"Is being psychotic good?" Alice asked.

"Erm... I'm not really sure what I can say about it without sounding extremely horrible." Leo replied. "Nevermind about that. I don't really like flying either, so I'm going to try and sleep."

"Okay then." Alice smiled. "Have a good sleep."

"Thank you." Leo said. "Maybe you should try sleeping."

"Yeah... I could use a recharge." Alice said thoughtfully. "How long until we get to Peru?"

"I'm not really sure." Leo shrugged. "They wake us up before we get there though." He yawned and rested the back of his head against the seat, letting go of Alice's hand. Alice watched the gentle rise and fall of Leo's chest, and listened to the sounds of his breathing. When she was sure that he was asleep, she reached out and touched his hand again, clutching it in hers. She felt less afraid of flying. Alice was too busy staring out of the window to notice Leo smile and open his eye slightly, then close it again.

xXx

"Whoa, Optimus. I can't get you a flight to South America on such short notice." Lennox sighed. "And I'm not allowed to put in for one unless you tell me why you're so desperate to go. It's pretty obvious you're not going for a holiday."

"Lennox, Bumblebee has given me reliable information that the Decepticons may have Leo in their grasp and are using him to get information from Sam." Optimus explained. "From what Sam told Bumblebee, the Decepticons are looking for something and it's in South America. If I am right, this could be bad for myself and any other Autobots not just on Earth, but throughout the galaxy."

"Right." Lennox said bluntly. "Optimus, you have to tell me why this is bad. I can get a couple of my guys and we can fly out there and get them later this week. You can't go running around in a far away country without us."

"Have you ever heard of Machu Picchu?" Optimus asked.

"No. What is it?"

"It's often referred to as the 'Lost City of the Incas', and is in Peru, near Cusco." Optimus continued. "Cybertronian legends speak of a group of assassins who were hidden there, after trying to take out the leaders of both the Decepticons and the Autobots. They were hidden there, because our race never thought we would come to this planet again... but we were wrong."

"So, tell me more about these assassins." Lennox said, wondering if he should be taking notes.

"They were put into a stasis lock and hidden under the site of Machu Picchu, or the mountain that towers over it, Huayna Picchu, just before humans arrived there. The Incas stayed away from the chamber, knowing that something evil was there." Optimus continued to explain. "The energy needed to reactivate them was hidden in an adjoining chamber, so that anyone could do so in a time of need. If the Decepticons are bringing them back, then it will be bad for all of us."

"How do you know all of this?" Lennox asked.

"The Matrix told me." Optimus replied.

"Oh. Right." Lennox coughed. "Well... did Bumblebee see any other Decepticons?"

"No. Just the one."

"Then... maybe... just maybe... they're acting independently and they want to put a stop to the war." Lennox shrugged. "Maybe they want to reactivate these assassins to take out you and Megatron so that they have a chance of finding peace."

"Independent behaviour is not in a Decepticon's nature."

"Well, it's just a guess." Lennox shrugged again. "Independent behaviour is pretty common for humans."

A/N: Another chapter done! Hopefully, I'll be able to get some longer chapters uploaded when the plot starts to develop more.

The next chapter might be up soon, it might not. It depends how college goes for the next couple of days :D

Thanks for the reviews, and keep them coming!

I Caught Myself