TMWolf: Okay, chapter 10 up and it's the first part of the 2-part thing~ It's time to get to know our favorite Autobots and more! But before that, I need to make an announcement: For the next few weeks- possible until after December 12th I will not be updating. I have my final exams coming and I NEED to study for them and not focus on my stories. So, I thought I should go ahead and let you all know ahead of time so those waiting don't worry. Once my exams are done normal updates will resume, but, like I said, I need to focus on my studies. These exams count a lot for my final grade!
Now, the song for this one is by Phil Collins from Tarzan. I thought it worked very well for this two-part chapter in both title and some of the lyrics~
Now for the reviewers who I love and thank as always:
Angel19872006: Oooooh just you wait on Sam. There's a lot to come for these two. A lot.
Cascadenight: Yes, well, it's actually how I felt towards a similar figure in my own life, and she is human (er, well, mostly now ha ha), so it's only natural, right? And Ratchet, you cheeky bastard~ making people snicker out loud in class and causing trouble for Tom Banachek~
Fanmanbookman: Ergh, yeah it was... but there's always got to be those chapters that give the important or background information. Can't be just action all the time, right?
Gaia'schild: Is the day after Thanksgiving okay, ha ha? :P Aaaaand you'll just have to wait in see, ho ho ho~ And glad people don't think she's Sue. I know the "Sam's best friend/sister/relative/etc" may be Sue, but I tried (and apparently succeeded thus far?) to make her realistic! So thank-you for the confidence! :)
Sharta: Pairings you ask? I say you still have to wait and find out ;) To be honest, it will really be up to the characters. I thought about using Ironhide's cannons, but then I realized that S7 would go "WTF" and it would cause a scene sooo punching works better~ Also, I'm honored my story inspires yours! It in turn inspires me to keep writing, so thank-you! and yes. Gangster-style Jazz.
Shizuka Taiyou: Yep! The "yessssss" was BW Megatron! :D
And that's the review replies for today! Thank-you all for the reviews! I appreciate and love all of them!
X. Two Worlds Part 1
Although the Autobots and Catherine were eager to continue working with her powers—the redhead especially so—it was not to be. Sector Seven had not taken kindly to Ratchet's misbehavior, and it wasn't long before Ironhide rumbled about humans approaching. The Autobots moved quickly, placing Catherine down on the experiment table near Bumblebee, Jazz hoisting himself onto the free one, Ironhide moving near the saboteur's table, and Prime and Ratchet standing at the ready with the Allspark shard in hand. The redhead watched, leaning against 'Bee's side with folded arms, as a group of soldiers lead by Tom Banacheck strolled in. Happiness was nowhere to be seen on their frowning faces, and she had to hold back the smile curving at the edge of her lips.
Ratchet and Prime were both well prepared for the human convoy, though, and they took Tom's not-quite-shouting-but-really-close-to-it rant at the Autobots making the situation more difficult extremely well. 'Extremely well' meaning the medic grumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes while Optimus gazed down at them in respectable silence. When it was their turn to talk it began with letting Tom and his men know they found a way to remove the Allspark energy from Catherine's body without harming her and that it was quite simple, but it would take time to get all of it out, so she'd need to return more than once for the duration of their stay. She wasn't surprised to find her safety was hardly Sector Seven's concern as they essentially threw it out the window when they balked at how they had "cured" her. Prime showed them the shard, and Catherine was sure she saw the white of their eyes from where she stood, which was a fairly good distance.
And that quickly led into the explanation—the lie, she secretly smiled—of how the Allspark's power still remained in the small slither of it, and that it was able to remove some of the energy residing within Catherine, but not all of it quite yet. Of course, even if it had they wanted to make sure there wasn't going to be any side effects. Tom asked how they could be sure, and that led to pointing out Jazz, whom waved like it was no big deal. Again, the redhead could see the white of their eyes, and she almost couldn't hold back her laughter. Thankfully, Bumblebee helped by nudging her hard enough to make pain override the humor. She stifled the laugh and watched as Tom Banacheck seemed to become more at ease knowing the shard had enough power to revive their kind. While it could have just very well been because it meant the man had found a bargaining chip for the alliance, Catherine wasn't completely sure. And that worried her.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much more time to worry as Tom suddenly became aware of her existence, and stated she would need to be returned and that they would discuss her coming back later. Ratchet affirmed he would expect her around the same time tomorrow, and would like to have at least an hour to work, rather than twenty minutes. He wasn't given a reply, but he took that as enough of a confirmation to gently pick up and place Catherine on the ground. She smiled sweetly at the agents, noting how they should hang out with the Autobots—they were great to talk to. They didn't reply, and instead shuffled her into the middle of the convoy. She managed to say good-bye to the Autobots as they began to herd her to the exit, and Jazz and Bumblebee waved back while the others merely nodded. They were gone from sight as she turned around and followed the humans out. It didn't long for Tom to turn onto her, asking her questions, and she answered all of them with an innocent smile.
Back in the room, though, things were not so care free. Ratchet, his annoyance irked, found his way to vent in the form of going over Bumblebee's injuries. The yellow Autobots wisely did not make any complaint or whine as the medic worked, nagging about the extent of the damage and how the materials he was going to use were insufficient. Ironhide made the mistake of nagging at the medic's nagging, and was promptly silenced with a threat to dismantle his cannons and not repair them. The black mech turned away, barking that he would be in another room, and stalked off. Jazz remained on the table, training his optics on the frowning face of his leader, whom had yet to turn from the direction the humans had gone.
-What's going on up there, boss bot?- he asked over a private comm. link channel. Optimus didn't flinch, long since used to the type of communication, but he did glance back at the saboteur as he sighed.
-I am… thinking.-
-Let me guess… Worryin' 'bout what ta do with Catherine, right?-
This time he did turn to the silver mech, -Yes. The best course of action would be to return her to the safety of her home, and we have already begun to set it into motion, but…-
-Ya want ta keep the Allspark near, yeah? I'm sure everyone else does, too, but it's gotta be her choice. Ya know that.-
-Yes. I would not force her into any decision, and it already seems she will want to go home, too. But if she did wish to stay, how could we do so safely? That is what I cannot yet figure out.-
-Don't worry too much, Prime. You'll figure it out. Ya always do.- Jazz grinned, and Optimus nodded back.
-Let us hope that whatever decision is made, it is the right one.-
-O-
They could have at least told me if I'd get to see the Autobots again tomorrow for my 'check-up', the redhead scowled as she strolled through the open door leading back to the main room. She stuffed her hands into her jacket and stuck her tongue out at one of the guards for good measure. He merely stared at her as she passed, but he was long gone from her memory by then. Tom's questioning was taking up most of it, after all. She couldn't believe it, but that man had an even louder, more obnoxious voice than Simmons. Granted, it was only because he had gone on and on with the questions about what happened and what she saw. Evidently telling him it was like shocking a person with her finger wasn't exactly good enough, and he started to ask all sorts of technical crap she didn't know, so the walk mostly ended up with her staring at him dumbly as he relentless asked the same things over and over.
Her saving grace had come in the form of the closed doors separating her from the other room where her companions were and the soldier who told Tom they were here. The man had sighed with frustration and told her they'd talk "later". How much later he wouldn't say, and she hadn't actually asked. He was a little too ruffled up for that, and she knew better than to keep antagonizing him, although she really, really wanted to. Of course, it was probably better to play the innocently-ignorant act with these guys. Letting them know you knew too much wasn't the best idea, if their kidnapping just yesterday was proof enough
She let out a deep sigh, freeing herself from the thoughts, and instead pulled her hands out from her pocket as she began the final turn into the room. She plastered a foolish grin on her face and, rounding the corner, threw her arms out.
"I'm baaaack!" she shouted loudly and then set her hands onto her hips. "So. Did anybody miss me?"
"Catherine!" Sam shouted louder than the rest, leaping up from his seat to rush over to her. He embraced her quickly and then moved her around, looking her over. "Dude, are you okay? When you didn't come out I thought—and then the soldiers told us to go back, and then—and then—"
The redhead grasped the boy's shoulders, "Oi. Sam! First, it's 'dudette' not 'dude'. I'm a girl, remember? And secondly, I'm fine. Ratchet figured out how to use the Allspark shard to suck the juice right out of me."
"Are you sure, 'cause—wait," he started, but then frowned. "Did you say 'Allspark shard'?"
"Yep. Let's go sit down Sammy-boy. This is something you and everyone else are gonna want to hear about," she grinned and, one arm draped around her friend's shoulder, she turned him around and led him back to the couch.
"So what happened exactly? Sam here was just babbling about how you didn't come out and then some other nonsense," Lennox inquired, and Catherine appreciated the worried tone in his voice. She'd barely known him more than a few hours- although she had shed some blood, sweat, and bullets along the way- but he already considered one of his team. It was nice.
"Yeah, did the doc-bot dissect you or something? Sure felt like it with that crazy laser of his!" one of the soldiers added, looking like he was repressing a shiver.
"You got the chills, too? Man, it was like he was seeing right through ya!" a second called out, getting a round of agreement from the others.
"Okay, calm down guys—his name's Ratchet and he's actually a really nice guy. And he just happened to scan me and find some Allspark Energy in my body so he took me to where the others were. Oh, yeah—that Tom guy was pissed! Ratchet totally dissed him when he took me out! It was soo funny! But, uh, anyways," Catherine laughed, getting a few grins from the others. "He took me to where the others are, and Optimus was there and he brought out a piece of the Allspark!"
"But," Sam's frown deepened. "We held it. W-we destroyed it. I saw it. You saw it…"
She shrugged, "Turns out not all of it. So Prime held it out to me and I touched it and, well, it was kind of like getting shocked. Like, if you walk across a carpet and touch somebody. That kind of shock. Anyways, that happened and then the shard sparked a little and Ratchet scanned me again and said the level of Allspark energy was down or something."
"So not all of it came out? You'll need to go back?" Mikeala asked this time and Catherine nodded.
"Yeah, or so 'doc-bot' says. That and he wants me to keep coming to make sure it doesn't have any side effects or anything."
"Hold on, though, "Epps spoke up and jabbed two fingers at both the redhead and Sam. "You two were both holding that thing. Sam just said so, and I saw ya'll do that freaky stuff with it. So how come pretty boy here didn't have the Allspark energy stuff in him?"
"Um… well…" the boy began, rubbing the back of his head. Catherine, however, looked down at her arm. She knew by tone alone they weren't going to leave thingds alone without an explanation, and using the cut could probably fool them enough to not think anything more of it. After all, they already thought the shard of the Allspark was what had all the power—not her.
"I think it was because of this," she began, rolling up her sleeve to the reveal the silvery-pink scar on her arm. In the light is had a sheen kind of like metal, and the others peered at it, mixed between curiosity and weariness.
"What kind of scar is that?" Maggie was the first to ask. "I've never seen one like it."
"That's because it's my own skin cells mixed with some weird substance Ratchet used to heal my wound. I'm thinking it's made from some of the same stuff as them, and the Allspark reacts to them, so maybe it reacted to the scar and I got some of the energy. Makes sense to me, anyways."
"What about that stuff—the Energon, right? Ratchet put some into you when you were out," Mikeala suggested, and Catherine would have face-palmed and thrown a shoe at the girl at the same time if she didn't want to keep her being the Allspark a secret. Of course someone had to go and say something. Sam she maybe could have figured saying it and tolerated it, but dark beauty over there on the other side of her best friend? Her patience was running thin, that was for sure. Still, she managed to keep her features under control as she prepared to reply. Until someone beat her to it.
"You've got what inside you?" Glenn gasped, and again she wanted to face palm. What was with everybody and noticing things they shouldn't? She already felt bad for lying to Sam about being the Allspark, and now it was just getting worse. Lies upon lies all piling up on her. She dreaded to think what the destruction would be if the dam holding the truth broke. Worst of all, the only good news was that she was good at faking her way through it all. And here she was trying to be a good person.
"Okay, look, it's not really a big deal. Ratchet told me the Energon that got inside me is gone, too. My immune system ate it up and all that junk after I woke up, so it's okay, alright?" she explained, thought she couldn't keep some the exasperation from her voice. Unfortunately, her audience didn't look like it had had enough. Her head was already falling on the back of the couch when Lennox looked at her.
"You better start from the beginning," he told her, and she sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, okay. Basically, one of the 'Cons was after Sam so I, uh, threw my bike at him, the giant robot came after me, it threw a car but missed for the most part. Got my arm, obviously, and then it was all about to crush me so I took a pole and stabbed it and some of this weird fluid spilled out and some of it got in my wound. Apparently it was some of the Energon stuff that they run on and it doesn't mix well with human beings apparently, so Ratchet fixed me up. And there ya go."
When she lifted her head she was pleasantly surprised to find the shocked looks on the soldier's faces. Or, well, maybe not shock, but they were impressed. She thought back on it, and she had to admit; stabbing the 'Con—Barricade, she remembered—with a pole of all things was pretty bad ass. Granted, at the time it was just an act of desperation, but it had worked, and now she was getting some props for it. Better yet, she had a trophy scar to prove it. Oh, and there were the powers, too, but they didn't need to know that.
"Damn, girl!" Epps laughs and then smacked at Lennox's arm gently. "Hey, man, next time she fights with us give her a pole instead! She'll show them bad guys a thing or too!"
"Actually, Epps, I would much prefer a gun, but thank-you for the vote of confidence," she grinned back.
"So this fluid—this Energon... it got into your body? What happened then?" Maggie pressed, and the redhead instinctively touched the scar, remembering.
"Well, it was like I had a really, really bad fever. Although, it went away for the part we were being attacked by that little tiny robot, but when we met the Autobots it got really bad. I felt like throwing up and things were really dizzy, and then I was out. Sam and Mikeala should know the rest, yeah?" she replied, looking over at the two.
Sam winced, "Oh, uh, yeah… It… It was actually kind of creepy. Your skin had turned all purplish-black and then the wound was leaking this weird color and it smelled really bad, too. We… I really thought you were going to die…"
Catherine frowned first, but then smiled and grasped his hand warmly. She quietly told him she didn't die, and he smiled back, squeezing her hand, too. She looked back to her audience then, some of which had sympathetic winces on their face as they imagined what had happened. She could imagine it, too, and wrinkled her nose at the thought. She never did actually look at her wound before she fainted, but it must have been bad for Sam to say that.
"Anyways, what happened, happened, and I'm alive and well and that's all that matters, so no use crying from thinking about what could have happened," she spoke up loudly, folding her arms in a defiant manner. "And, frankly, it just means I might get to hang out with the Autobot more, which I, for one, find to be freakin' awesome!"
"Sector Seven is really gonna let you?" Glenn inquired with a glint of excitement in his eyes.
She shrugged, "Hopefully. Ratchet might throw a fit if they don't, and, well, let's just say he's one doctor you don't want to piss off, especially now that he knows about human anatomy."
"So—so you think maybe we'll get to see Bumblebee and the others soon?" Sam asked as he finished his small laugh.
"Hopefully," she shrugged again, but then suddenly smiled. "And not just 'Bee. Prime, Ironhide, and Jazz, too."
She let the words sink in before her smile widened to her ears. Right on cue, Sam shot up again, shouting and attracting everyone's attention. Laughing, she told him that, yes, Jazz was alive. That's when the rest of the shouts and other similar expressions came up, and she began to explain how the shard was able to bring Jazz back to life, which was how they figured it could absorb the energy she had in her. She also told them they weren't sure they could bring anymore back to life since it was only a small piece of the Allspark and so a lot weaker, but they were hoping to not ever be in a situation they would need to again. Of course, that led into interesting conversations about how they could just bring someone back to life or what to consider their kind. It was all very interesting, and Catherine let it go on with a pleased smile. None of them would suspect she had the power now, and those Sector Seven goons no doubt listening in on them wouldn't either.
The conversation actually went on for a long time. So long, in fact, that time was forgotten by everyone. Except that is, for their internal clocks, which promptly reminded them they needed sleep. As it turned out, their bodies were accurate with the actual tim as, not long after the first heads began to droop, Simmons returned to report they had rooms ready and it was way past some of their bed-times. Catherine noticed he was looking at the three of them in particular and she gave him a good "har-har" as they all got up to follow after him.
She expected the Agent to bother her, but Tom or somebody higher up must have said to leave her alone, because she didn't have to suffer his antics through the hallways to a different area of the base they hadn't been to before. There they came across hallways with more than just a few doors on either side. Apparently they were supposed to be paired up, two people per room. They were also expected to stay in their rooms all night, meaning no "adventuring"—he looked straight at her then—and that they'd be woken up around eight in the morning to have a little "discussion". Sector Seven was being aloof as always, but they went with it.
The soldiers were paired up first and given the first row of rooms. Sam and Glenn were paired just as were Maggie and Mikeala, leaving Catherine the odd-man out. That was fine by her, though. She honestly didn't feel like sharing a room with anyone, especially the dark-haired girl. Yes, she was a nice, respectable person, but the bitterness just couldn't tolerate her at the moment. Catherine knew it was silly, but she was human after all. Well, mostly human, but she was still her. Granted, that should have meant she didn't let it get to her, but then she decided that she should just say "fuck it" and brood—she had just saved the god damned world and become the new hope for an alien species after all! So, yeah, she was going to fuck any moral values and be bitter towards Mikeala for a little while longer. Just a little.
Needless to say, Catherine was happy to collapse onto the single bed where she buried her face into the pillow. It was oddly nostalgic, only this time the tears were missing, she noticed. Well, that was just fine. It was better that way, too. It meant she was doing okay. Why shouldn't she be, anyways?
She didn't bother to answer her own question as she curled up beneath the sheets and let her dreams take over.
-O-
Waking was pleasant despite the banging that woke her, and stretching felt more rejuvenating than usual. She also felt oddly happy and calm, and, after a moment, she recalled it was because of her dream. It had to be the strangest one she'd ever had. She recalled being a strange creature on an even stranger, yet familiar world. It had been made of the same metal she had beenl and there were other metal beings, which she knew and drank odd, glowing cubes with. She had talked to them, too, but she did not understand the words and yet at the same time she did. It had been all so strange, and when she thought harder she realized they were like memories. She had dreamed the memories of someone else—someone Cybertronian.
But it wasn't the Autobots. At least, it didn't feel like one of them, she hummed as she slid out of the bed. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but it definitely hadn't been one of the five in the base. It was somebody else; somebody she didn't know, but the Allspark had. Or, that's what she figured. It was all just so strange, yet fascinating at the same time!
"Aaaaaand I smell," she grumbled aloud, having wiped the sleep from her eyes with her sleeve only to take in a whiff of her jacket. It was reasonable, though, considering she hadn't showered in what had to be two or three days now; she'd been walking around in the Hoover Dam for hours, been in the base for hours as well, and sweated and rolled in the grime and dirt for a good thirty-minute battle. It was no wonder she needed a shower and a new pair of clothes. A brush would be nice, too, and not just for her hair.
At least she wouldn't be the only one since she was pretty sure no one else had brought an extra pair of clothes. Still, she knew she should at least clean up a little bit, and the room did have a decent little bathroom to do just that. It even had towels, which were a wonderful way to avoid getting her jacket sleeves wet instead. While it wasn't perfect, the wash did a load of good: she felt refreshed and the smell wasn't quite so bad. The smell from her body, anyways.
"Nothing I can do until I get some new clothes," she mumbled as she headed towards the main door. "I swear to God if Sam has new clothes I am going to flip some shit."
Luckily for the world, he didn't, and neither did anyone else making their way out into the hall where a single agent waited. They had washed up a little, too, though, as shown by the wet hair-dos. From some of the dark circles under their eyes, she noted some people hadn't slept all that well. A few were soldiers, but she didn't worry about them so much as she did Sam, who looked exhausted as he made his way over, rubbing at his eyes. Mikeala looked a little tired herself, but she was in much better shape than the young man.
"Sleep trouble?" the redhead asked her friend, and his groan was all the confirmation she needed. "What's on your mind?"
"My parents," he sighed, and Catherine nearly smacked herself for forgetting they had been taken, too. Then she thought of her parents and wondered how worried they might be. Sam groaned again, "I can't believe I forgot about them! I don't even know where they are or if my Mom's gone and killed someone yet!"
"They're probably in another Sector Seven base somewhere, and your mom was probably tranquilized, so I doubt she killed anybody," the redhead reassured him, rubbing his back gently.
He smiled a little, "Yeah. probably. Still…"
"Go ask where they are—maybe they'll bring them here. I mean, there shouldn't be much reason not to bring them here, right?" Mikeala added, taking his hand and squeezing it comfortingly.
"Unless Mrs. Witwicky woke up and killed them all," Catherine snickered, and Sam laughed this time.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, Mikeala, anyways," he began, casting the redhead a grin. "I don't think my Mom would kill them all, sorry. And yeah, I'll ask. I kind of need to talk to them about all this anyways, or Mom will go crazy and never let me leave the house."
"Sam, I think it's a little late for that. Anyways, looks like we're heading out. Go try and get to the front and see if the agent will hear you out," the redhead replied, pointing at their lone guide. Sam nodded once and headed off, leaving the two girls alone. Neither one said much as they followed after. Catherine merely stuffed her hands into her jacket and Mikeala walked with that pretty-girl-strut of hers. Though the thought sounded coarse in her head, the redhead realized she didn't feel so bitter anymore. At the moment, anyways- she couldn't keep herself from glancing over at the black-haired girl, looking over and comparing herself. Like always, she didn't really stand a chance int he looks department even when the girl didn't have all her make-up on.
"So, Catherine," the dark-haired girl began, surprising the redhead whom looked over with a raised brow. "How long have you known Sam again?"
"Since birth, I think. Long as I can remember, anyways," she shrugged back, and she couldn't help smiling when she saw the flicker of worry in Mikeala's eyes. Or was it jealousy? Either way, it made Catherine feel better about herself. That is, until she figured out how selfish that was, and felt bad again.
"And you guys have always been just friends?"
Ah. That question. Yes. I hate to inflate your bubble, but yes. Just friends. Best friends. Compadres. Amigos. Not lovers or even ex-lovers. Not even 8th grade dance date. You're clear for landing in Sam-Romance airlines, 'cause you're the only one flying it.
"Yeah. Just friends," she said instead, and, smiling to hide her frown, she continued, "Seriously. Stop worrying. Sam's all yours, Mikeala. He's had a crush on you since I think 5th grade or something. Maybe 6th? I forgot, but it's been a long time."
"Oh," the girl breathed, her lips forming into a smile, but then vanished as she realized the redhead was looking. "So, um… what's Sam like? Outside of saving the world and alien robots, I mean?"
"Now, now, Mikeala. If I told you all his secrets that would be cheating," Catherine hummed back, but, seeing the disappointment on her face, she sighed. "But I guess I can give you a hint. He's... essentially a nerd. The good kind of nerd, I mean, not the dorky, super-smart kind. And he's funny when he's not trying, and he's the carrying type, too. He can be awkward sometimes, but it's usually because he's nervous, so don't worry about that. Just kind of laugh it off."
"You know him really well, huh?"
She frowned, biting her tongue for a second, "Yeah, well, 'best friend' over here 'n all."
"Catherine… did you… do you like Sam?"
The redhead nearly tripped, but she, thankfully, didn't. She just knew that would have given everything away. Instead, she managed to keep walking straight and shook her head to make up for the pause that would have given her away, too. She smiled, but couldn't help fearing it would give her away too as she looked straight at Mikeala.
"Of course I do, he's my best friend. I wouldn't be that if I didn't."
She rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean, Catherine."
Yeah, I do. And no, I don't like him. I love him. "No, not like that. We're just friends."
And that was the end of that; Mikeala became silent with possible satisfaction. Whatever the case, Catherine didn't look back to check. She didn't want to give away her lie. She wouldn't be able to believe it herself if someone else didn't. The fact she did have to come to believe, though, forced her to bite her tongue again. Knowing the only way to get better was to stop loving him hurt more than anything else—even knowing she couldn't have him. To have to love him as something else if she could ever keep it as love…
No, come on, girl. Not now. Not now! You were doing fine, so stop it! You're fine! You're fine! You're fine! You'll be fine! You'll be fine. You'll be fine…
And when Sam came back with the good news that he might see his parents soon, she was fine for the most part. She even showed her happiness for him, all the while forcing herself to silently believe her lie.
-O-
As it turned out, their little sojourn through the halls was to bring them to a meeting room where Tom Banachek and Simmons gave a talk about what they were going to be doing now. The soldiers were to be taken to a briefing with the government over the alliance and the possibilities of a combined military force. Maggie and Glenn were going to be taken to meet with Sector Seven to discuss maybe working with them- the Aussie having found Frenzy's sound when others couldn't, and Glenn for having been able to decipher a little of it. Sam, Mikeala, and Catherine, on the other hand would be debriefed on what they were to do when they went home. That was good and all, but more than a few people were wondering when they would get to meet with the Autobots. That was a difficult question for the two Agents, but it was eventually decided that they could meet with the Autobots so long as they were escorted to an open room with guards there. The guards were booed, but the prospect of meeting up with their alien friends was exciting and taken.
That said, the meeting didn't last much longer, and all three groups were sent to their prospective areas. The three teens remained in the room where Simmons drilled them on what to say. He was overly obnoxious and pompous for some reason, but they took it well enough and even went along with it to where the man was satisfied. He made an attempt to drill Catherine about her Allspark energy crap, but that was waved off as being fixed and she'd be back to normal in no time and to stop "sniffing" her. Sam and Mikeala backed her up, and the agent was quickly fended off, giving them leave to go visit their friends.
The guards were a little reluctant to take them, but with one call and confirmation the teens were led to what felt like the complete other side of the base into a large, open area. There they found Ironhide and Jazz standing about looking bored. Granted, bored for Ironhide meant antsy and about to shoot something. While the three teens had no problems with it, their guards did and refused to move any closer than the door. That was all the better for the three, and all hurried over, Mikeala and Sam a little slower due to gaping up at Jazz.
"You're really alive!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed, and the silver mech laughed.
"Sure am, kid. So what's crackin', little bitches?"
"C'mon, Jazz, you can't just keep using the same lines. Think of something new, man," Catherine grinned back.
"Just thought it'd be cool ta open up with a familiar phrase is all. Don't gotta be so mean ta me, shorty."
Sam and Mikeala glanced at the redhead as both asked, "'Shorty'?"
"My nickname, apparently," she replied sheepishly, and then strolled closer. "So, Ironhide! You look like you're having fun."
"Standing around doing nothing is hardly what I would call 'fun'," the black mech rumbled.
"And that's why it's called 'sarcasm', big guy. What are you guys doing in here, anyways?"
"Them Sector Seven dudes told us we couldn't hang with ya guys unless we were in this place, so here we are," Jazz mused. "Not that they could keep us here 'n all. Right, 'Hide?"
"It's been long enough since I used my cannons," the black mech rumbled, eyeing the wall carefully.
"Oookay now, let's not get carried away guys. I think S-seven is freaked out enough," Sam spoke up, finally over whatever shock had kept him from speaking before. "But, um, where are the others, by the way? Is… Is 'Bee okay?"
"Don't ya worry yourself, kid. Docbot is takin' good care o' 'Bee. He finally got some supplies in so he's fixing 'em up as we speak," the silver mech smiled, and the dark-haired bow visibly relaxed.
"And Optimus?" Mikeala asked this time.
"He is speaking with your government and the soldiers about the alliance. He won't be back for some time," Ironhide mused, unhappiness lingering in his tone.
"Oh… Well, um, do you think, maybe, we can go see Ratchet and 'Bee?" Sam asked.
Catherine waggled a finger at him, "Now, Sam. That would be breaking the rules and Simmons would get very, very angry with us."
"Frankly, Simmons can stuff it," Mikeala replied, earning her a grin from the redhead.
"I don't see a problem with that," Jazz smirked and lowered his hand. "Just hop on ta my hand and I'll be ya escort."
"If that's the case, then I'll take my leave," Ironhide stated, already turning away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Catherine inquired as she stepped onto the silver mech's hand.
He didn't bother to pause or look back, "There are many rocks outside that need to be removed."
"What?" Sam asked softly as the redhead laughed.
"He's just going to blow off steam, now come on," she replied, holding her hand out to him. He grasped it and hopped on, then turned back to help Mikeala. Behind them, shouts of concern came from the guards, but all they were given were innocent waves and an explanation about the three of them going to hang out with the other Autobots. The guards could only look on stupidly as Jazz gave them a two-fingered salute and walked off into the tunnel at the opposite side of the room. Only when the robot was out of sight did one guard sigh and mention he'd make the call.
Jazz and his charges, however, were excited about meeting up with Ratchet and Bumblebee. Although it had been a little uneasy for the first few steps, Sam and Mikeala soon became comfortable with sitting on the silver mech's hand. It helped that the walk wasn't long, and, soon enough, Ratchet's lime-green armor came into view. Below him and at the mercy of his hands were Bumblebee and piles of metal, which the medic was using to build new legs. The dedicated worker didn't even look up as Jazz approached, but the yellow Autobot did and whirred happily at the sight of the three of them, especially Sam, whom he called out to.
"Stop fidgeting!" the medic growled, smacking 'Bee on the head. The yellow Autobot beeped unhappily, but did as was told. Jazz was kind and set the teens near Bumblebee's torso- far enough away from the working medic, but still close and comfortable enough to talk with their friend.
"How's it going, Docbot?" the silver mech inquired, and the medic flashed a quick glare before going back to his work.
"Well enough, but now that you've brought distractions I can't say for sure," he growled, picking up a metal piece and welding it to another already attached to Bumblebee's leg stubs.
"Oh, don't be so grumpy, Ratchet. We'll stay out of the way," Catherine replied, waving the medic off. He merely grunted in reply, not amused, but not in the mood to gripe back, either. That was well enough for them, and Sam, wincing at his friend's legs, came up to touch Bumblebee's arm.
"So… So you're really okay, buddy? I mean, well, you're going to be okay?"
"Yes, Sam. I will be fine, but more importantly, are you alright? You were not badly damaged? The humans would not let Ratchet tend to you, and I could not see for myself," the yellow Autobot spoke, his eyes looking over Sam carefully.
The boy laughed, "Yes, yes, I'm fine, 'Bee. We're pretty tough, too, ya know. I'm just glad you're okay!"
"As am I. For all of you. Unless, you, Mikeala, are harmed…?"
"No, I'm fine, too, 'Bee. You don't need to worry—we did that badass tag team move, remember?" the dark-haired girl laughed, and the yellow Autobot smiled back brightly as he nodded.
His head tilted, though, as he recalled something, "I did not think you could not come into this vicinity. Has something changed?"
"Naw, but it was no fun bein' in that borin' 'ol room back there, so I brought 'em here," Jazz chuckled. The welding sounds stopped abruptly, and Ratchet looked up from his work to glare at the silver mech. The Autobot in question promptly took a step back, raising his hands up in defense.
"When the humans come barging in, you will deal with them," he growled and then went back to work. There was going to be no argument and all of them, especially Jazz, knew it. He took it with a smile, as did the others, although they—meaning Sam and Mikeala—exchanged weary glances. Catherine was the one to ease them, clasping both of them on the shoulders.
"Guuuuys, chill. They did this when I was here yesterday, and it was fine. S-seven just barked without any bite, so relax, okay?" she chuckled and, seeing their expressions brighten a little, she released them. While they became preoccupied with Bumblebee—asking him questions about anything and answering his own—the redhead turned around to face the silver mech, smiling up at him and he returned it. She stepped near the edge and, already guessing what she wanted, he held out his hand for her to hop onto. He lifted her up to his shoulders, which she gladly stepped onto and grasped one of his side "horns" for balance. She cast the other two one, final glance before Jazz turned, putting them out of sight, and started off in whatever direction he had in mind.
"So how ya holdin' up, shorty?" he inquired, and she shrugged.
"Pretty good, I guess. Woke up fine, anyways. Things got a little tricky yesterday, though. Had to make up some good excuse using my scar and lettin' them know you're alive."
"Looks like ya did okay, though, am I right?"
"Well, since I'm not being experimented on, yeah. I hate lying to all of them, though. The soldiers are good guys- especially Lennox, but that's just probably 'cause he makes me feel like I'm part of his group. He's still a good guy, I mean. I hate lyin' to Sam especially, but…" she trailed off, turning back only to find the curve of the wall instead.
"Sometimes we gotta lie ta the ones we care for," the silver mech mused, drawing Catherine back in time so see the somber look in his eyes. It was reflected in hers soon enough and she smiled with a mixture of sadness and bitterness.
"Yeah. I know what you mean," she replied softly, then turned to him, "At least I don't have to lie to you guys about that stuff. Hopefully not about most things, either. Call it weird, but I feel as bad about lying to you guys as I would Sam."
"Nothin' weird about that, and we wouldn't want ya ta feel like ya have ta lie ta us, either. 'Course, ya can't lie ta the Jazz-mech, so don't even try, shorty," he smirked challengingly.
She laughed, "Now I'm tempted! But I'll try my best not to. By the way—where are you taking me, 'Jazz-mech'? I don't think it's good for a 'guardian', I think you called it, to take their charge to strange, unknown places."
"Aw, c'mon, girl, ya don't trust me? Ya hurt my spark," he chuckled back, grasping at his chest dramatically.
"Oh, I'm just teasing. I know you're looking out for me. Thanks for that, by the way," she grinned back.
"Your Allspark senses telling ya that?"
She raised a brow, "You could say that, but how'd you know? Don't be lying to me now, Jazz. If this relationship is going to work you can't be lying to me."
"Depends on what kind of relationship we talkin' about," he countered and she shrugged, frowning.
"I dunno to be honest. You've been calling yourself a 'guardian', so I figure that's like a big—well, really big in your case—brother kind of thing, so that one? And don't avoid my question, darn you!"
"Alright, alright, ya got me!" he laughed. "Anyways, let's just say that when I was in the place ya found me I learned a few things. Don't go asking about that, though. I'm not really supposed ta tell unless I gotta. Just know I'm always lookin' out for what's best for ya. Always. I owe ya for bringin' me back, anyways, and don't tell me I don't have ta because I died ta keep ya guys safe. You bringing me back was a lot more than that, and ya powers are proof o' it."
Catherine gazed at him for a good long moment before smiling softly, "Okay. I trust you."
"Glad ta hear it, and ta answer your original question: nowhere. Figured ya wouldn't mind just walkin' around and talkin' with ya 'big bro'."
"You know what? You're right. I don't mind. In fact it's doing a load of good," she replied, leaning against the side of his head. "You are one damn good spy—you know everyone way too well."
"Well, I'm the best o' the best," he winked, or she thought it was a wink. It was really just one of his eyes blinking off then back on. Regardless, it gained a quick laugh from the redhead. He chuckled a little himself before sobering some. "So what's on ya mind?"
"To be honest, I'm really just worried about the whole powers thing. What if someone finds out? What's going to happen to me? What will they all think? Will I be able to prevent that? Will I be able to control the powers? What if I can't? What if I lose my powers, too? And if don't, what can I do with them? So many question, Jazz, and I can't begin to answer one. Not yet, and some of them I never want to have to answer. Especially the ones about Sam…"
She lost her voice then, the name suffocating any other words. She hadn't honestly meant to talk about that so suddenly, but she hadn't been lying when she said she trusted Jazz. Hell, she felt like she really could tell him anything. It was comforting, of course, but it was also a little scary. She couldn't really recall feeling so trusting of anyone, except maybe Sam and that had taken years and had its limits, but here she was with Jazz who'd she barely known half a week. Still, it didn't feel wrong. A little frightening, but not wrong.
"Ya wanna talk about him?" he asked gently.
She wanted to say yes. She also wanted to say no. She knew she would need to one day. Maybe. People always told her it was better to talk about things that troubled her, but what if she couldn't even trust herself when talking about it? Should she still talk about it, then? Was it too soon to even talk about him? When it would stop being too soon, anyways? Truth be told, she didn't know, and that was the little bit her two warring parts needed to decide the victor.
"No. Not really. Can we… Can we just talk about something else? You can't tell me about my powers I'm guessing, so can we just talk about Cybertron or something? I think I left you guys when you were talking about the different classes?"
She silently thanks the silver mech for not giving her a sympathetic smile or anything that looked like pity as he kept walking, his face facing forward in their unknown direction. It made forgetting the dangerous thoughts all the easier. And once the silver mech began to talk about how there were warriors like Ironhide for defense, Scientists like Optimus before the War for science, and teacher classes for teaching hatchlings, the memories of the young man were small slivers in the back of her mind, overtaken by the new world she had become a part of.
X. End
TMWolf: Alrighty, there's chapter 10 part 1. So now some people know about the scar, but they don't know her powers and they think the shard's the source! Go Catherine-my-pants-are-on-fire! Also, more confusing and complicated actions and angst and all the good teenager stuff mixed with giant, alien robots!
Also. So. Some of those "pairing" questions have been answered. But again, things are always subject to change ;) My characters know who they want, ha ha~
Lastly I'll repeat my earlier little note: No updates at least until Dec 10th. Going to be studying and doing my best on my final exams. Wish me luck and thanks for reading!