The next few moments went by at an insane speed. The soldiers and I piled out of Jumpstart's cab, me stumbling out ungracefully on the old cracked asphalt in my rush. The second his cab was vacant, Jumpstart transformed to root mode. He was instantly on the front lines. The NEST soldiers were darting around the Autobots' legs, taking shots at their oversized mechanical enemies. All I could do was watch.
Lennox sprinted back over to me. He had to almost yell to be heard over the battle as he ordered "Get to cover! Hide! Oh, and I didn't give you this." Lennox shoved a glock into my hand, and ran back to rejoin the fight. I gripped the handgun tight, my index finger on the side of the barrel and all my other fingers holding the handle in a death grip. I dashed off the road and past the tree line. Woods were on either side of the road, so it wasn't hard to figure out where to hide. Once I was sure I was out of sight, I hid behind a tree, the sounds of battle still behind me. Suddenly the two painfully boring weeks at the temporary NEST base seemed much more appealing.
I looked down at the gun. I knew how to handle one, since Becky loved to take me to her uncle's shooting range. But I'd only ever shot soda cans, and I wasn't even that accurate. Nonetheless, the gun was a small comfort since I was not completely defenseless.
The shard around my neck started to get hot, almost as if in urgency, and I got the feeling I should move. I hurriedly tucked the shard under my shirt, out of sight, and dashed for a tree nearby that would be good for climbing. Just as I passed into the canopy of green boughs, I heard a sudden crash nearby. I'd been around giant robots long enough to know that I now had one in my presence as giant footsteps, muffled by fallen leaves, could be heard nearby. I kept climbing as silently as possible until I figured I would be above the 'Con's head. Through the thick foliage, I could just make out a top-heavy mech's frame. I instantly identified the 'Con as Starscream. "The Shard is close by... But where... Come out, my little fleshling. I'm not going to hurt you. Much. I promise your death shall be swift." Starscream called. I sandwiched my spine into the trunk of the tree, knowing it was only a matter of time before he thought to look up.
As he turned to face me, but still didn't see me, I aimed my gun. I took one deep, silent breath to still my shaking hand. I waited for an opening, and I pulled the trigger.
Jumpstart
From the edge of my vision, I saw Barricade ready a missile and aim for me. I knew I couldn't dodge fast enough, but just as he was launching the missile, Bumblebee toppled the police cruiser with a full body tackle. The blow misaligned the shot, and it was headed for the ground a few meters away. I stooped down and grabbed the two stray soldiers in the area just before the missile hit. The resulting shock wave was enough to topple a few mechs and most of the humans, and send me flying. I was sent sailing over the back lines, leaving Ratchet and a few soldiers to scramble out of the way. I hit the ground hard, creating a new web of deep cracks in the old asphalt. The glass of my windshield was completely shattered, but the humans still in my hands and I were mostly unharmed. While the soldiers were now quite rattled, they were still alive, and they both nodded to me in lieu of a thank you before running back into the fray.
I laid there a moment, letting my systems recalibrate. About then I heard a gunshot, and it wasn't anywhere near the battle. Eva. I'm so stupid! I never should have left her alone! I berated myself as I sprung to my feet and rushed for the area the shot came from.
As I came into the woods, snapping branches in my haste, I found Starscream stumbling around a clearing bleating "My eye! My eye!" Once he spotted me, he stopped clutching at his face, revealing his broken optic. He dashed across the clearing, grabbing something from a tree. The feminine scream told me it was Eva. "Ta-ta, Autoscum." Starscream said, igniting his thrusters. I leapt at him, catching one of his legs. "I will never let you 'Cons hurt any of my humans ever again! Never!" I shouted, pulling myself up higher, using his wing as a handhold. "Whoever said I needed your permission?" Starscream sneered, doing a quick spiral. I slid back down, and only was able to keep hold of his ankle. When we were this high in the air, the Seeker had the advantage.
As Starscream was glaring down at me and attempting to throw me off, Eva was squirming in his grip. She finally managed to get one hand free, and that hand was holding a gun. She aimed, and took her second shot. Starscream cried out in pain, and clutched at his face once more. "My eye! I can't see!" Starscream screeched. I took my opportunity to get up onto his back. I grabbed both his wings and shoved them downward, forcing the Seeker to head Earthward. The Seeker cursed at me in every language he knew (which was a lot) but couldn't reach me past his own wingspan. Just before we hit the ground, I snatched Eva from his grip and jumped. With a final flurry of swears to put Ratchet to shame, Starscream crashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater. He stood painfully but knew he was now outmatched, so he took to his heels. He left the clearing, arms in front of him to guide him since both his optics were shot.
Now that we were safe, I let my hand slide off my chest, revealing Eva to the open air. She looked up to me and said "Nice save." "Nice shot." I replied. "I don't think I did it alone." She said, pulling the Allspark shard into view. We both looked up at the sound of jet engines and saw the Decepticons retreating. Both of us breathed a sigh of relief.
I sat up slowly and let Eva climb the short distance to my shoulder before standing. I made my way back to the road, to where Ratchet was already treating the worst of the Cybertronian wounds and the human medics were also in overdrive treating the human soldiers. Ironhide walked over. Energon was oozing slowly from his shoulder, but he didn't seem to care. Ratchet didn't look up from where he had his hands buried in Bumblebee's knee as he scolded "Ironhide, get back here! You're still wounded!" "Don't worry Doc, I'm not going far." Ironhide dismissed casually. Ratchet muttered something about hard-helmed weapons specialists, which Ironhide ignored as he greeted us. "So, looks like you two saw some action." "More than I'd wanted to see." Eva replied, earning a smirk from the black mech.
Optimus stood from where he'd been kneeling, in conversation with Captain Lennox. "Autobots, we will camp here for the night to make all the necessary repairs." Optimus announced, earning a nod from everybot present to acknowledge the statement. I was happy to oblige. Rest seemed like a good idea right about then.