As he ended the cell phone call, Sam glared up at Sophie, who was still being held semi-hostage by Bumblebee.
"Really? You couldn't give me five seconds with Mikaela?"
"I gave you five seconds!" Sophie replied. "..and five seconds is my limit of how long I can allow you to speak to that woman."
Sighing and letting his hands fall to his sides, Sam gave Sophie an exasperated look. He shook his head and put the cell phone back in his pocket.
"Yeah, well I know this much, you mess up Ironhide's name one more time and he's liable to give you five seconds to run away before trying to stomp on you."
"Yeah...I know," Sophie muttered glumly.
Bumblebee looked between the two quickly, making a slightly worried robotic hum. He lowered Sophie down carefully to the floor, and she climbed out of his palm.
"Look, I know you don't like Mikaela," Sam said. "I remember that you and her fought constantly in high school. But I really like her, okay? And I miss seeing her already."
"All right, all right," Sophie replied, holding her hands up. "Sorry. I'll...back off, then. I just know how mean and vindictive she can be. I don't want her to do that to you."
"Thanks, but, uh...I think I can handle myself."
Sophie was quiet, but rolled her eyes slightly, obviously not believing Sam. She wandered over to where she had been perched on a stack of crates, climbing onto one of the crates and sitting down. She pulled out her cell phone and began tapping away quickly on the keyboard.
"You two went to high school together?"
Sam looked up to Epps, who had been sitting in silence behind a computer as the two had been arguing. Nodding slightly, Sam managed a weak smile.
"Yeah. Sophie was part of our high school rugby team and always getting in fights with the football players. When she found out that I, uh...failed the tryouts, she offered to help get me into the guy's rugby team."
"Wait a minute, you failed football tryouts and she was going to get you into rugby?"
"Yeah. She wanted to give me an excuse to basically pummel the daylights out of football players. ...it didn't go well. She wound up fishing me out of a...a, uh...dumpster."
Epps made a slight face as he tried to suppress the urge to laugh, and Sam ducked his head.
"Sounds like that didn't go as planned," Epps finally replied.
"To say the least," Sam laughed. "But it worked out okay. I mean, I think Sophie was kind of lonely or something. She didn't have many friends. She was, er, still is, a bit of a rough person to get along with. Didn't help that she was known as a chronic smoker and drinker in high school, and...uh...worse things."
The last part of the sentence made Epps pause and he looked up at Sam, raising an eyebrow.
"'Worse things'?"
"Yeah...um...I'd really rather not say," Sam answered slowly, casting a cautious glance over to where Sophie was sitting. She hadn't looked up from her phone since she'd started typing on it. "But, I mean, she was a really good friend. Really reliable, too. Bailed me out of at least five computer tests. I think she's the only reason that I passed my last computer class...and never got my eBay account hacked, either. At least, not by humans."
"Sounds like quite a card," Epps said, looking over at Sophie. "'Rough' person though, huh? No wonder she and 'ole Ironhide get along so well."
"Not sure how many times Ironhide's going to take her messing up his name, though. He's liable to stomp on her next time she calls him something else."
"Nah," Epps answered, grinning. "I think 'ole Ironhide will threaten her up one way and down the other, but he ain't going to hurt her. But don't you tell him I said that."
"I heard nothing," Sam laughed lightly.
"So I heard you told Prime that you're not, and I quote, an 'alien ambassador'?"
Ducking his head, Sam looked at Epps with a tired expression.
"I told him I was sorry," Sam argued. "But what can I do? You honestly think that anybody would listen to me? My own parents barely believed me! What do you think some foreign ambassador is going to think? You think I could explain having a giant alien robot car to the President?"
"Considering everything that's happened, I think a lot of people would be far more willing to listen," Epps countered. He leaned back in the chair and looked over to where Optmus Prime was speaking to Lennox. "But I do know that Prime's got a lot of faith in you, and for what it's worth, I think his faith is well-placed. It might be worth reconsidering his request."
"Yeah...I know," Sam replied glumly. He truly did feel bad for not helping out the Autobots, but he could only imagine the laughter that he would get when he was introduced as the "Alien Ambassador for the Autobots." The more he thought about it, he would be lucky to get laughed at. He'd be more likely to be hauled away by security.
"But, hey, I would have probably said the same thing if I was in your situation," Epps quickly added, seeing Sam's crestfallen expression. "I'd be way too worried about saying the wrong thing and putting our robot buddies in a worse spot than they're already in."
"Is it really that hard for people to figure out that the Autobots are on our side?" Sam asked in irritation. "How many times do they have to keep our planet from getting taken over by the Decepticons before people start giving them even basic respect? They even lost a guy in the name of protecting Earth. Does that mean nothing?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Epps replied, holding up his hands. "Personally I'm getting a bit tired of the whole idea that we're supposed to be able to take on the Decepticons by ourselves and not get our asses handed to us. We need the Autobots to back us up."
"Yeah, but we need to backup the Autobots," Sam sighed, realizing what he was saying.
Epps was quiet for a few minutes, then grinned.
"Well, if you do have to go play 'Alien Ambassador,' let me know. I'll back you up."
"Thanks," Sam laughed.
()
Though he had finished speaking to Lennox, Optimus had stayed relatively still. He could hear Sam talking to Epps, and he could also hear the conflict in Sam's voice.
It wasn't that Optimus had an issue speaking with humans, the problem lay in that most humans didn't want to hear what he had to say. From what Optimus had heard from the leaders of the various governments of the human race, their opinions had already been set and their minds had been made. They understood that the Decepticons were the enemy, but they viewed the Autobots as responsible for bringing the Decepticons to Earth. And by some reasoning, they were correct. But what most of the humans failed to understand was that the Autobots had dedicated themselves to protecting the human race from the Decepticons.
Some humans understood, but not all of them. And, frustratingly enough, it seemed that the leaders of the human race were the most stubborn in counting the Autobots as little more than a weapon to be used against the Decepticons. It was those humans that believed the human race alone could fend off the Decepticon threat.
And perhaps they were right. But at what cost?
The civil war that had effectively crippled and then caused the fatal shutdown of Cybertron had given Optimus a first-hand look at the cost. The loss of countless lives and eventually the downfall of their entire planet...their home.
It was a terrible price to pay, and not one that he wanted the humans to have to pay. And if they wouldn't listen to them, then Optimus could only hope that they would listen to another human. One that had seen the destruction that the Decepticons were capable of, and that the Autobots were here to help.
Sam, however, believed otherwise. He didn't think that anybody would listen to him. He'd argued that he was simply a student and that he had his own problems to deal with. While Optimus couldn't deny that Sam did have his own life to go through, he wished that Sam hadn't discounted how valuable he could be to aiding the Autobots.
And now there was Sophie.
Mikaela had steadfastly stayed by Sam's side, and while Optimus could give credit to her loyalty, it also put her at a great risk. While Mikaela may have been willing to accept that risk, Optimus was a little more reluctant to put another human life on the line. But both Sam and Mikaela had insisted that she aid Sam, and Optimus had eventually relented.
And now Sam had brought another of his human allies. Sam had claimed Sophie could help their cause from a more technical standpoint, and while Optimus had no reason to doubt Sam's claims, Sophie was another human life put at a great risk. Sam, Mikaela, and the members of the N.E.S.T. army had acknowledged the risk they were at, Optimus wasn't sure about Sophie.
Humans had an incredible trait for being blindly optimistic.
As Sam and Epps continued to talk, Optimus tried to ignore the guilt gnawing at his conscious. He hated putting Sam in the position of "alien ambassador," as Sam had put it, but Optimus saw little alternative.
Glancing over, Optimus saw Sophie sitting on top of a stack of boxes, working on her small communication device. She seemed enamored with the thing. Optimus could understand being intrigued by a piece of technology, but Sophie seemed to take that to a whole new level. Even Q hadn't been that fascinated by any one piece of technology.
Walking over, Optimus started to speak to pull Sophie out of her fixation, but before he could say anything, she noticed him and spoke without even looking up.
"How can I help you, Big Boss?"
Sophie looked up slowly, sliding her cell phone shut. Optimus studied her expression for a few moments before continuing. She looked almost defeated, but was at least far calmer than she had been when she had spoke to Optimus earlier.
"Are you feeling any better?"
Blinking quickly, Sophie stared at Optimus, looking quite confused.
"Come again?"
"You were upset earlier. Or at least, when you spoke to me, you were."
"And you're...concerned about how I feel?"
"Yes."
Again, Sophie paused.
"I'm feeling better. Still kind of sore, but prolly not as sore as 'ole uh...uh...ah shit, I gotta' get this right. He's going to shoot me if I get his name wrong one more time. Iron...Iron..."
"Ironhide."
"Right. Ironhide. Thanks. He's prolly in a whole world of hurt and I'm just...sore. Actually isn't the first time I've staggered and fallen down a street." Sophie paused and looked over at Sam. "Though I think I ticked Witwicker off."
"Perhaps. Although interrupting his conversation with Mikaela may not have been the most advisable of course of action."
"Yeah, you're right." Sophie looked away for a few moments, then looked back up at Optimus. "You were really concerned about whether or not I was feeling better?"
"Yes. I also wanted to ask you if still wanted to remain here after having seen what the Decepticons are capable of."
"Here? As in the city? Where would I go? What would I do for college? What would I do for a place to live?"
"I am sure that N.E.S.T. could assist you with the necessary arrangements for you and, if required, your parents. And, if the Decepticons persisted-"
"Yeeeah, parents...uh...my parents almost had an aneurism when they found out I got my lip pierced. Pretty sure if I showed up with a semi truck that transformed into a giant alien robot, they'd either die of heart attacks right then and there or make me wish I'd just let a Decepticon eat me."
Optimus started to interject that a Decepticon was far more likely to simply shoot a human as opposed to eat it, but decided the argument wasn't worth it.
"Besides," Sophie continued. "It'd be a pretty lousy thing of me to do if I just up and left Sam at the mercy of the Decepticons and his depraved Computer Science professor. Can Decepticons pretend to be humans? Like...holographs or something? That would explain so many of my professors."
"It is possible," Optimus answered. "Though we use what is called a holomatter projection. It is far more stable and reliable than a holograph."
"Really? Can you actually...like move stuff?"
"If necessary, yes."
"So...the holomatter is what you'd look like if you were a human?"
"It is based more upon the user's preference, but some of the user's characteristics and traits can carry over to the holomatter projection. They are very rarely used, however."
"Did you ever think to try and use that to talk to humans?"
"Yes. Unfortunately our understanding of your human government, and the fact that humans are quite aware of our presence on Earth, makes communication...difficult."
"If it's any consolation, the government doesn't listen to me at all. In fact, they kind of do what they want."
"I appreciate the empathy, though I am not sure if it is a consolation," Optimus answered.
"Uh...it was meant to be a joke, Big Boss," Sophie said after realizing she'd been taken seriously. "You know...trying to lighten the mood?"
After a pause, Optimus smiled faintly. Sophie laughed and shook her head.
"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere. Between you needing to learn how to laugh every now and then and Sam needing to be saved from every computer in the vicinity, I'm going to have my work cut out for me."
()
Around two 'o clock, Sam announced he had to go back to the dorms to grab a couple of things before heading to the airport to meet Mikaela. After complaining as to how creepy it felt to ride around in Bumblebee and how she felt like some sort of unwanted pet, Sophie reluctantly accompanied Sam back to the dorms. She stayed at the end of the hallway, glaring at random people as they passed by, or giving them her best barracuda grin.
Sophie wasn't exactly keen on seeing Sam's dorm room. Especially since he split it with that weirdo Leo. Sophie had only encountered Leo a couple of times, save for that party where Sophie had had her hand crushed, and in a computer class that she and Leo had together. Leo talked too much for Sophie's liking, and he only knew what he was talking about half the time he spoke up. In any case, Sophie was more than happy to avoid Leo as much as possible.
Looking up, Sophie caught a glance of Sam going into the dorm, looking as though he was having another of his freakouts. He was closely followed by Leo and the blonde haired girl, Alice, who stood outside the doorway. Leo looked extremely upset, while Alice seemed far too calm for the situation. Sophie immediately began walking down the hallway towards the two, stopping when she saw Alice shove Leo out of the way and go into the dorm room. Blinking and standing there, not quite sure what to do, Sophie chewed on her lip ring.
At the sight of Mikaela coming up the opposite end of the hallway, Sophie froze.
"Oh...somebody's gonna' be in trouble," Sophie muttered. Taking in a deep breath and reminding herself that she liked Sam enough to do this, Sophie put on the biggest smile she could manage. "MIKAELA!"
Almost everybody in the hallway, including Mikaela, jumped at Sophie's shriek. Mikaela looked over at Sophie, looking extremely confused. She smiled in confusion, and waved weakly. Sophie sprinted forward, sliding the last foot and putting herself between the door and Mikaela.
"Mikaela! It's so nice to see you, Mikaela!" Sophie shouted with the best enthusiasm she could fake. She leaned against the door, doing her best to be heard through the door. "So your flight worked out, Mikaela, huh? How're you feeling, Mikaela?"
"It...it went fine. Are you okay? You're acting really weird."
"Me? Oh, Mikaela, I'm fine, thank you for asking!"
"Okay, look, you're really acting strange, but I need to see Sam. Is he in there?"
"Uh...maybe?"
Pushing past Sophie, Mikaela opened the door, almost making Sophie fall onto her back. The expression on Mikaela's face made Sophie turn around quickly, and she stopped, making a quiet "oh" noise. Alice was practically lying on top of Sam, and Sam was looking extremely flustered and horrified.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Alice asked.
"Ex," Mikaela replied. She quickly turned and walked away without another word.
Sophie looked at Sam with a mix of disappointment and confusion, then chased after Mikaela. She could hear Sam yelling at Mikaela.
"Mikaela!" Sophie said. "Wait up!"
"You were protecting him and that little...trollop!" Mikaela snapped, glaring at Sophie.
"No! I really didn't know that he was doing...that," Sophie replied quickly. "Sam's been acting really strange, lately, too. He may not be thinking completely."
"He's not thinking at all!" Mikaela hissed. "He-"
A loud commotion of noise stopped the two in mid argument. It sounded like Sam's dorm room was being torn apart. The two darted back to Sam's dorm and Mikaela yanked the door open to have Sam crash into her. Behind him, Alice's eyes glowed a bright blue and she lashed out at the two with what appeared to be her tongue attached to a centipede like extension of metal. Sophie barely avoided being hit by it herself, and she looked over at Sam.
"Your taste in women is getting worse," she said quickly.
Sam gave her an angry glare, but didn't have time to answer before Alice lunged at them. Mikaela swung the metal box she had been carrying, knocking Alice back, but it only deterred her momentarily.
"Run!" Sam yelled.
As the trio sprinted down the hallway, they grabbed a very confused Leo, almost dragging him along with them. Behind them, Alice was already giving pursuit, a predatory look on her placid face. She effortlessly tossed aside a student that was unfortunate enough to get in her way, and as they dashed into the library, Sophie leaned out the door just long enough to flip Alice off with the same hand that Alice had almost crushed a few nights earlier.