Hi everyone!
We're drawing near to the end of this story. I know… it's sad.
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
I own nothing except my OC's.
Episode 9: Holiday
"Axel, what are you doing?"
The boy looked up at his surrogate carrier with a grin. "Packing." A duffle-bag sat before him, full of clothes and other necessities.
"Why?"
"It's spring break, and since Lord Megatron had to go back to Cybertron for a time to deal with some issues, I'm going to enjoy this break. Luciano invited me, Chase, Kiara, and Angel to go camping this week." He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I haven't had a real break since… actually, I've never had one. I'm taking this golden opportunity to have one."
Eclipse shook her helm, though a grin spread across her facial plating. "I guess it's ok, but what if Commander Starscream asks about you?"
"If dumbaft asks, just tell him I'm spying." He opened a groundbridge and waved. "Later Mom!"
He exited the groundbridge near the school and ran out into the parking lot. A small van awaited with his friends waiting nearby. "Hey guys! I'm here!"
"Finally!" Chase exclaimed, "What took you?"
The boy winked, "My house is a wreck; it took forever to find anything." They all laughed.
"Oye hermano, están usted y sus amigos listos para ir?" Luciano's older brother, Sergio came around the van.
"Si, Sergio. Sólo tenemos que poner la bolsa de Axel en la parte posterior."
The older boy nodded and grabbed Axel's bag, putting it in the back of the van. The group piled in with large grins. Angel sat beside Axel; it was a tight fit and the two were squished close. "Um… it's kinda warm in here."
"Y… yeah…" a light red flushed across his face.
The two didn't speak at all during the long ride to Luciano's family cabin in the woods.
As they climbed out of the van, a brilliant blue lake spread out before them and two cabins stood near the shore, a fire-pit between them. They unloaded their baggage and Luciano turned to his brother. "Gracias hermano, hasta luego."
"De nada, Luciano, que se ve en cinco días." Sergio started up the van and drove away.
"So," Kiara hefted up her bag, "Which cabin is ours?"
The Hispanic boy pointed to the larger cabin on the left. "You girls can have that one while Axel and I share the other one."
"Sounds good to me." The girls went into their cabin while the boys went into theirs.
Axel looked about the simple hovel; a single electric light hung from the ceiling, illuminating the two bunk-beds, the single sink, and single toilet, beside the single shower, with only a curtain separating it from the rest of the cabin.
"It's… uh…"
"Homely."
Axel nodded, "That just about describes it." Tossing his bag onto a bunk, he sighed. "I've never had a vacation before. What do I do during one?"
"Relax. Enjoy this time off."
"Did you pack any food?"
Luciano nodded. "I've got some granola bars, hot dogs, hamburgers, and s'more makings. I also brought some fishing tackle and a rifle."
"Fishing tackle and a rifle…? Why?"
The boy laughed. "The fishing gear is so we can catch some fish to eat. The rifle is for hog-hunting. I'll show you how we do things here on earth, the old-fashioned way."
"Sounds like fun!"
Angel dumped her bag on a top bunk in their cabin. They had a bit more room than the boys and an extra shower. "This is going to be so fun! We're gonna rough it out for a week!"
"Oh boy…"
"Angel, have you 'roughed it out' before?"
The girl cocked her head. "Does being stranded for five cycles alone in the Sea of Rust, with my comlink broken, having to survive off of Energon, converted into drinkable fluids for myself, count?"
"Yea… yea that would count…"
Chase raised an eyebrow. "Did that really happen?"
Angel pulled up the edge of her shirt, revealing a deep scar. "I got this during that time. It turns out a turbofox and his sparked mate had a den close to where I was staying during that time; the male was only protecting his mate, but he got his dentals into me."
"Wait!" Kiara stopped her, "Tell this story later, when we're around the campfire. It's a camping tradition!"
Angel giggled, "Ok." There was a knock on the door. "Which boy is it?"
"Luciano… hey, the lake looks awesome. Do you guys wanna go swimming?"
Kiara looked around at the other girls before calling back, "Sounds good! Give us a few minutes."
"Alright…"
Luciano took off his shirt, for was already in his dark orange swim trunks, as was Axel, but his were purple. He turned to his friend and stopped. "Axel…"
"I know…"
Luciano stared at Axel's back; long, dark scars riddled his back. "What happened?"
"It's a long story…"
Grabbing his towel, the human Decepticon strode outside with Luciano following. "The girls are gonna ask, you know."
"I know…"
The door to the girl's cabin opened; Axel immedietly faced it, hoping to put off the subject of his scars till later. He blinked as the girls came out in their swimsuits: Chase's was green with a sailor uniform top, Kiara wore a pink, strapless one-piece with lavender ruffles on the top and bottom, and Angel came out in a red one-piece with a white strap that crossed under her neck and looped about the back of her neck.
"Whoa…"
"So, we gonna swim or not?"
"Let's go!" The earth-born humans plunged into the lake, laughing and having the time of their lives.
Angel took his hand, "This is your first vacation, go enjoy it."
"I don't know what to do on vacation…"
"Then let me show you." The girl pulled him to the water's edge.
He glanced at her, "Now what?"
"Jump in!"
"What?"
Angel gestured to the lake, "Jump into the water." Axel just looked at her. "Ok…" The girl suddenly pushed him forward, sending him tumbling into the water.
As Axel came up spluttering he glared at his friend, "What the frag, Ang…" He reeled back as the girl plunged in beside him, sending water splashing over his head.
"It's called having fun in the sun!" She splashed him again.
A playful smile crossed his features. "Oh! This is war!" The two began splashing one another, their other friends soon joining in.
The five laid out on the shore, the sun beginning to sink lower in the sky. "Hey, Chase," the Hispanic boy asked, "Why don't we get a fire started?"
"Sure. While we work, those two can sleep."
Angel and Axel lay on a towel, beside one another, sleeping peacefully. Axel's arm lay draped over Angel's midsection. "They are so cute together!"
"It's kinda sad though," Kiara stood, her face falling slightly, "they're in different factions of that war and this is the only time they can really spend together."
"Then we'll help them make the time they have together the best times of their lives."
Axel opened his eyes, smiling at Angel's sleeping figure in his arms. "Hey…" she stirred slightly. "Wake up, My Angel…"
"Axel…" she gently sat up and smiled, "guess we fell asleep."
"Hey! Now that you two are awake, why don't you join us for dinner?" The other humans sat around the fire pit, flames leaping from it.
The two stood up and came over, Axel putting his shirt back on and Angel slipping a cover-slip over her swimsuit. A metal grate lay over the flames, with hamburgers cooking on the grate. "Glad you could join us."
"Shut up…"
The food was done and the group ate, laughing and talking till the sun set and the fire was the only light other than the moon and stars.
As they began roasting marshmallows, Chase looked to the Autobot human. "So, what about that story from earlier? Care to share Angel?"
"What story?"
Angel took a bite of her s'more and looked to Luciano. "I have a bite on my side from a wild turbofox; I promised Kiara and Chase I would tell them the story around the fire." Her eyes drifted to Axel. "You remember that day."
"I sure do…"
Angel stood up, and began to relay the tale…
Angel walked through a ruined part of Uraya, scouting for any Decepticon activity. "Autobot Outpost, this is Angel. I found no Decepticon activity in Uraya; I'm heading for the Sonic Canyons next."
She took off in the direction of the canyons; she stopped as the sound of a jet engine reached her ears. "What in the name of…?" A large purple servo scooped her up, constricting her movement. "Let me go you fragger!"
"Oh stop your struggling; you're my ticket to the big-time!" The mech holding her had a bulky frame painted purple and tan.
"Blitzwing! You bat-slag loco Con! Let me go!"
Ignoring her, the Decepticon commed his leader. "Lord Megatron, I have captured the Autobot's human surveying our recent actions in Uraya. I'm coming back to Tagan Heights with her for you to use as a hostage, lab experiment, or any other way you see fit."
The girl twisted her arms until she got one free from his grip; turning it into a blaster, she aimed for the joint between his servo and arm. "Like that's ever gonna happen!" She fired, the blast causing him to release her. Activating her jetpack, Angel shot away.
"OW!" Blitzwing whirled about, spotting the girl's retreat. "Oh no! You won't get away!" He fired his blaster, hitting Angel's jetpack, putting it out of commission.
Angel plummeted downwards at a dizzying speed. She barely registered the Con attempting to grab her again, but reacted to the threat quickly by shooting him in the right optic. Moments later, she made contact with the ground.
Her suit took much of the brunt force but with a fall like that, many of her suit's systems were sure to be offline and some of her bones might have been broken slightly.
Angel sat up, glancing about before moving. Blitzwing was notorious for being quick and he had dropped her right in the middle of the Sea of Rust. As she stood, her right leg shot pain through her body.
"Ah! No… broke that…" testing her comlink, she discovered that the fall damaged it. At least her guidance system was operational.
Crawling under a strangely shaped outcropping, to hide herself should Blitzwing continue to search for her, she took a cut a few stalagmite-like features from the ground and sliced them in half, creating a splint; she wrapped her leg with some cloth from a pocket in her suit.
Using the rest of her gathered materials, Angel fashioned a crude crutch. She limped out, quickly checking her guidance system for the nearest settlement. "Good… Altihex is closest."
She glanced down at her leg. Normally it would take her between 2 to 3 cycles to reach Altihex from here, but with her jetpack out of commission and her leg busted, it could take between 4 and 5 cycles to reach Altihex.
"Ok… let's do this…" With that, she limped off.
Four cycles later, exhaustion and pain truly began to take their toll. Angel limped on; she could barely stand and had to make a second crutch on the third cycle to continue on.
It was the fifth cycle and Altihex was close, she could feel it. Coming over a rise, she saw the city before her, but her smile quickly fell. Instead of the tall towers and allies at every turn, the city was in ruins and a banner, bearing the Decepticon Insignia flew high.
"Altihex has fallen… if Altihex is gone, then the Autobots stationed there would retreat to Kalis." The idea of walking further didn't sit well but Kalis wasn't too far. If she didn't stop, she could reach the city by the next cycle.
Turning a little further west, she continued her march. Suddenly, a deep growl sounded off to her right. Angel had no time to react as a male turbofox snapped at her. She stepped back, but the teeth caught her, sinking into her right side.
Her screams of pain resounded through the empty land…
The three kids stared at Angel in amazement. "What happened next?"
Angel sighed, "Sorry, just taking a breather…"
"Hold on," Axel stood up, "Let me take over from here."
"Ok, sounds good." Angel sat down and let Axel continue the story…
The battle to take Altihex was long and hard-fought. Axel needed some rest after all the fighting he had to do. Though, Angel had not been in the battle. He heard that Blitzwing captured her outside of Uraya five cycles ago, but dropped her in the Sea of Rust.
He stood on the edge of that same sea, hoping she was ok. He jumped as a scream pierced the air. "Angel!"
Taking off, he found her, in the mouth of a turbofox. "Let her go!" Unsheathing his blades, he stabbed the beast in the neck cables, making it drop the girl.
The beast scampered off to its den, where Axel could see a heavily sparked female turbofox. He shook it off and went to Angel's side. The girl gasped for air, and wrestled to stay conscience. "Ax… Axel…"
"I'm here…"He gathered the girl in his arms, wincing as she cried out in pain. "I'm gonna get you help."
Later, Axel watched as Angel's eyes fluttered open. "What…?" She tried to get up but noticed she was strapped to a berth.
"Sorry, but Lord Megatron would never allow an Autobot to roam freely." Axel winked at her from under his helmet, "You'll just have to stay here for a bit."
The boy left the human-sized chamber and strode through the hallway. This was the only building still standing in Altihex and naturally, the Decepticons took it as a base.
Making his way towards the, newly dubbed, command center, Axel clearly heard a raised voice yelling at another. "My son is no traitor!"
"Then why did he not only rescue the Autobot's human, but treat her wounds as well?"
"Because dumbaft," Axel entered the room, immediately addressing his accuser, Starscream, "A dead hostage is of no use to us."
Eclipse, the one whom had been arguing with Starscream before, nodded. "You see! Axel has his reasons, and they are all for the good of the Decepticon cause."
"Humans are deceitful, unreliable, and weak, both mentally and physically!"
"And you aren't, Screamer? Last I checked, I was able to beat your aft so hard, Lord Megatron considered giving me your job."
"Why you little…!"
"Silence!" Megatron stepped from the shadows, his red optics fixing upon his subordinates. "Axel, I do not truly believe that you rescued her only because she could be useful. You had other motives."
The boy didn't seem nervous, he just turned his gaze to the Decepticon's head scientist. "Shockwave, help me out here."
"Lord Megatron, I have been studying human behavior since we acquired Axel into our ranks. The reasoning behind his treatment of the other human is simple: she is the only other one of his kind on our planet and the only one he has ever seen. His natural reaction is to preserve her life so he will not be alone. And there is the other piece that she is a female."
The warlord looked from his scientist to the boy. "I see…" He turned his back on them. "Axel, resume your post as perimeter guard. Knock Out will watch over our guest."
"Yes, my lord."
"So how did you escape, Angel?"
The girl smiled, "Easy, I cut my way free, beat the frag outta Doc Knock, and got the frag outta there via groundbridge."
"Yea, and KO spent an entire stellar cycle apologizing for that."
Kiara yawned, "It's getting late, we should get to bed."
"I like that plan," Chase stretched and headed for the cabin, "I call first shower!"
With that, the five headed off to the cabins.
The vacation was relaxing! The five lounged around and had a blast, fishing, hiking, hunting, and the like.
The third night, it began to rain; it rained all night and into the forth day. The girls had to clean their cabin since the boys were coming in to hang out.
Axel came in, soaking wet, with Luciano behind him. "It's raining more sky-juice than it rained down shots at Tyger Pax."
"I know!"
Kiara sat on her bunk, "So, what're we gonna do?"
"First," Luciano set up an emergency radio, "We need to make sure we're in no danger. There is a dam further up the river; its runoff is what forms this lake. If that dam overflows or breaks, we're in huge trouble."
He turned on the radio but got nothing but static. "Well, that didn't work…"
"We'll be fine," Chase smirked, "you're just paranoid. Hey! Why don't we play odds!"
"Yea!"
"Totally!"
"Sounds like fun!"
"Fine…"
They played a few rounds of the game, laughing and having a blast.
Chase narrowed her eyes at the human Decepticon. "Axel, what are the odds of you WALKING to the lake-shore and sticking your head in the water?"
At the appointed moment they both held up their hands. "WHAT THE FRAG!" Axel held up three fingers and so did Chase. The boy grumbled as he stomped to the door, throwing it open, and trudged down to the lake-shore. He turned and mouthed 'I hate all of you', before turning around and dunking his head in the water.
The others stood in the doorway laughing. Axel stood up, but something didn't feel right. Through the thunder and rain, he heard a different noise, a rolling, thundering, rushing noise.
He looked, his brown eyes widening. A mountain of rushing water, came rushing down the gully towards them. "GUYS!" Axel turned, activating his suit. "The lake's gonna flood!"
Angel activated her suit and grabbed Kiara and Chase; Axel flew over and grabbed Luciano. The group shot into the trees, just as the water rushed through. The cabins below them, splintered from the water's force and the trees rocked from the waves.
The five kids landed on a large tree branch and held on for dear life.
"What're we gonna do?" Kiara panicked.
The two from Cybertron removed their suits and stared out over the flooded landscape. "I think we'll just have to wait for a bit. I can call some government guys to pick us up but that would be too conspicuous. I can call Miss. Drea and have her contact whoever it is that rescues people."
"The National Guard…"
"Yea, them." Angel touched the comlink in her ear. "Autobots, this is Angel. Patch me through to Miss. Drea… Miss. Drea, my friends and I are stranded; the site where we are, or should say, were camping is flooded. For the safety of Axel we wish to be rescued like anyone else… The Bots should be able to track my com signal… thank you." She looked at the others. "The rain is supposed to let up in about ten minutes to an hour. Then, the National Guard will be able to come pick us up."
"So we just sit and wait…"
(On the Nemesis)
The spacebridge swirled to life as Megatron, Shockwave, Knock Out, Breakdown, and Soundwave stepped through. "Welcome back Lord Megatron." Starscream bowed.
"I trust everything was well in my absence."
The seeker smirked, "Mostly, however, Axel has not been seen for days."
"Probably just spending time with his friends." Knock Out shrugged.
"Yea," Breakdown added, "he did mention something about a 'spring break'."
Eclipse strode into the room, jumping slightly at her master's early return. "Master! Welcome back."
"Eclipse, do you know the whereabouts of Axel?"
She nodded. "For spring break his friends were going on a vacation and he wished to join them. I saw no harm and he was not need here, so I allowed him to go. He said they were going 'camping'."
"How do you know he isn't fraternizing with the Autobots?"
"Look," her optics narrowed, "My son is no traitor! I can call him now and track his com signal."
"Then please, do so." Megatron ordered; he too noticed Axel's increasing scarcity around the ship and his infatuation with his human friends.
The femme walked over to a communications console and contacted him.
Axel leaned against the tree trunk; he jumped as his phone rang. "Really!?" He answered it. "Yea… Oh hi Mom… the trip's really fun, except we've hit a minor hiccup in our vacation… we got flooded out and we're stuck sitting in a tree, waiting till the National Guard can come pick us up…"
"… we got flooded out and we're stuck sitting in a tree, waiting till the National Guard can come pick us up…"
Eclipse sighed with a chuckle, "You call that a minor hiccup?"
"Yea… we're alive, perfectly fine, just wet and airborne. No problem!"
"Ok, just checking up. So you might be back early?"
"Most likely... hang on a sec… Chase! If you fall in the water, I'm not going after you so, get back up here! Uh, oh my gosh… sorry…"
"Ok, when you're safe give us a call," Eclipse vented.
"Sure thing!" He terminated the comlink.
Eclipse turned, "At least he's ok."
Knock Out and Breakdown were shaking their helms, smiles spread across their facial plating. Megatron and Starscream only glowered. "Eclipse, when Axel returns have him report to me." Megatron walked away towards the bridge.
"Yes sir…"
Angel smiled as a rescue helicopter came into view. The machine came and hovered overhead, a basket lowering and the five, one-by-one, climbed in and were lifted skyward.
The groundbridge opened and Angel stepped through. "Angel!" Remix ran forward, cradling her child in her servos. "We heard you were flooded out and had to take refuge high up in a tree."
"It's true, but I'm fine; everyone's fine, even Axel." Her phone suddenly buzzed. "Hey, I'll be right back…" dashing back through the groundbridge, she arrived at the school. Axel awaited her outside. "Hey, you wanted to see me…"
He smiled, hands behind his back. "It's your birthday in a few weeks and so I wanted to know what you wanted."
"I'd honestly be happy with anything you gave me."
"That doesn't help!"
The girl giggled, "Just listen to your heart and you'll figure it out." Before she really knew what she was doing, Angel leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you at school."
With that, she dashed back into the groundbridge.
Axel went back to the Nemesis in a daze, with a smile on his face.
"Axel," Eclipse's voice broke into his daze.
He shook the vapors from his head and replied, "Yes Mom?"
"Lord Megatron wished to speak with you."
The boy nodded and strode towards the bridge. He entered and Megatron turned to him. "Ah, Axel, I trust you enjoyed your 'vacation'."
"My lord," he bowed, "I did not mean anything by it, but spring break is something that is widely participated in and it would be strange for me not to do so."
"That may be so," Megatron narrowed his optics, causing the boy to shudder slightly, "but you have been spending far too much time with the other humans. It seems that they are a distraction and your loyalty is more important than intel."
The boy cocked his head. "My lord, what… what are you saying?"
"In one stellar cycle, you will be returning to Cybertron to oversee operations there, and you will remain there."
The boy's face became one of shock. "I… I won't be able to remain on earth?"
"No… and I suggest you get used to that fact."
The boy nodded, "Yes, my lord…" Axel left, holding his strong façade until he stood outside, and then it broke. He shook, tears threatening to spill. Without a word, he took off running, running to the only place on this boat with lax security, the top deck.
With the air so thin up at that altitude, he had to wear his helmet and he was glad of that, so no one could see his tears.
However, his sniffles attracted the attention of one bot. "Axel…" he turned to see Eclipse standing behind him. "Are you all right?"
He wanted to say yes and play it cool, but he just didn't have it in him now. His head shook slowly from side to side.
"Come, let's go for a drive and you can tell me all about it." She held out her servo and he gratefully climbed into it.
He sat in the passenger seat of his mother's, Honda Fit, alt mode. They rode along the deserted roads in the Rocky Mountains. Eclipse stopped and transformed, setting her son down beside her as she sat.
"Now, care to tell me what's wrong?"
The boy removed his helmet, easily showing the tears streaking down his face. "I… I've been given orders. In one stellar cycle I'm to return to Cybertron for good. No more earth, no more school, no more friends… and, I don't know how long it'll be till I see her again."
"Her?"
"Yea… her…"
"You mean Angel?"
Axel jumped, "How'd you…?"
"Don't worry. I have no intentions of turning my son in," Eclipse smiled at him. "I guessed it was her; I could see you were in love and there was no one else that came to mind."
He stared at her. "In… love?"
"Axel, I had a sparkmate once before. I know what love looks and feels like, and you are helm over peddes in it."
"And I thought I was hiding it…"
"Being in love is nothing to be ashamed of. You should be happy, but careful. If word of this were to get out…"
The boy nodded, "I know, trust me. "
"Axel," she rubbed his hair with her digit, "We've both sworn our lives to the Decepticon cause and it's all you've ever known. However, I will stand by you, no matter what you choose."
Axel looked up at her in shock. "Are you… are you serious?" She nodded. "Mom… I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything yet, just listen. You only have a stellar cycle left to spend with her, at least for a while. Take the time you have and spend it with her; make a time to remember. Meanwhile, you and I can try and figure something out, maybe I can speak with Lord Megatron and get him to change his mind."
The human looked up at her. "I don't believe you'll be able to change his mind but I'll do what you said."
"Even if I can't get him to let you stay, I'm sure that I can get you permission to spend time with her as much as possible."
A tear, this time of joy, trickled down his face. "Thank you…"
Her servo lowered and embraced him. "You are most welcome, my son."
Things are starting to heat up.
There are only about 4 or 5 chapters left of this story.
Please Review!
Next time…
With only five days left until he has to return to Cybertron, for good, Axel wants to do something extra special with/for Angel. Will the special event on his last night do the trick?
Find out in… Episode 10: Last Night
John 14:6 "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'"
