A/N
And at last, Part 2. About the length of two of my chapters. (^_^)
Chapter 11
NBE-2
Part 2
Sure enough, it wasn't long before they came to a clearing. Well, not really a clearing, but it was much less infested with vegetation than everywhere else, so it was close.
They slowed to a stop and the two humans practically fell out of the semi, Aimi dropping to lie on the grass while Simmons leans against a tree. Both of them sigh in relief at the freedom of being outside after eighteen and a half hours.
Aimi hears the Prime's transformation sequence and sits up, looking around.
Off to the left is the foot of a steeply rising mountain, and embedded in the wall is an enormous, very much out-of-place metal door.
"What is that?"
In the center is a symbol, a combination of the letter S and the number 5, not unlike the symbol they had seen on the documents Aimi took from the shed. Those were apparently the Sector Seven symbol.
So what does that say about this?
"Sector Five?"
"There's more?"
"Of course there's more! We were called Sector Seven because we were the seventh of the groups directed under the seven who started the whole organization with NBE-1 and that...AllSpark thing."
"So there're more guys just like you?"
"Well, no one's quite like me."
Aimi's distracted by the mech advancing on the door and scanning it.
"Couldn't agree more... What're you doing?"
He's stepped back, activated one plasma cannon, and leveled the weapon at the door.
"Entering."
"Wait, don't you think we should-"
She reflexively ducks when a massive blast erupts, echoing off the mountainside. When she pulls back into her previous position, she sees the door has vanished, having been blown into the compound, and Optimus straightens, obviously satisfied with himself.
"We could have at least tried knocking."
"I scanned the interior. There is no one inside."
She pushes herself off the ground and walks towards him, but is, however, cut off by Simmons' power-walking pace.
"Oh, that was a great idea. Yeah, let everyone within a fifty-mile radius know we're blowin' stuff up!"
With a vented growl, the Prime turns to look down at Simmons, narrowing his optics at him as he lifts one hand to grasp his sword's hilt over his shoulder. He pulls it up slightly and takes a step towards the human, suddenly impressing his size and power on Simmons, who spins on his heel and walks right back to his tree.
Today is not the day he'll be taking on a thirty-two-foot alien robot bearing a sword.
Nope.
Satisfied, the Prime secures the blade back into position and goes back to the blown entrance.
Aimi makes to follow him, but stops to look back at Simmons.
"You coming?"
After a few moments of indecision, he sighs and follows them inside.
Despite having to duck a little to get through the doorway, the corridors are just large enough to allow the Prime to stand comfortably.
The first thing Aimi notices is that the compound really isn't that big. As far as she can see, it's just one moderately long corridor with a room at the end, though sealed closed with a door just like the front had been.
"Seems straightforward enough."
Having been examining the wall, she just barely stops herself from walking into the mech's heel strut.
"Why the hesitance?"
She looks up and sees him staring intensely at the door, audio dials spinning and olfactory sensors testing the air.
"I swear, if we came all the way here just for you to think twice about it–"
"Simmons, shut up!" He flinches and Aimi shakes her head, looking back up at Optimus. "Well?"
"There is a mech inside."
"You said no one was here."
"Some have the ability to hide their heat and insignia signatures. However, I possess a stronger olfactory system than most, and although his scent is faint, I can smell him."
"And are you just gonna blast the door open like you did with the first one?"
"No. I believe a safer approach would be to use my sword."
He pulls the blade off his back, slides the tip into a crack between the door and the wall, and pushes it until he can pry the door open.
It opens fairly easily, and he immediately assumes a defensive position.
After a moment, he lowers his sword, stepping forward to allow the humans to follow.
Aimi takes a sharp breath in when she comes around his heel strut.
It's a very large room, with an open area between raised walkways, and the floor nearer to the entrance is completely barren.
In said open area is a massive white form, moving slightly in a familiar pattern: venting. The form, the mech, is breathing.
Upon closer examination, they can make out the pieces of the mech's frame. He's positioned on his knee struts, servos held up to the sides by thick chains around his wrists.
He moves, straightening just a bit as he raises his helm to look at them. At the same moment, Optimus readies his sword. In response, the white mech attempts to raise his hands in an act of surrender.
"Wait, wait. You see I am completely unarmed, don't you?"
Optimus moves closer, lowering his sword but quite obviously pressing his field against the other's. The mech visibly attempts to pull away, but he's held stationary by the chains.
"Optimus..."
He ignores Aimi's warning tone, proceeding into interrogation mode.
"What is your designation?"
"Skyfire. Did she just call you 'Optimus'? As in Optimus Prime?"
"I ask the questions here." The growling undertone has the mech's blue optics widening, as well as Aimi's patience thinning.
"Optimus."
"What is your affiliation?"
"Autobots." No response, which automatically translates to disbelief. "I am an Autobot, I swear. You don't plan to deactivate me, do you?"
"No." He puts up his sword before seizing the mech by his chassis armor, now growling entirely. "Where is your insignia?"
"Optimus, let him go."
"Where is it?"
"Optimus Prime!"
He looks back at Aimi.
"What?" He flinches at his own tone.
Aimi gives him an expectant look and he vents, releasing the mech before looking at him, apologizing with a softened expression and the action of brushing off the mech's chassis and shoulder armor.
He takes a step back, venting again before continuing in a less hostile tone. "Where is your insignia?"
"I have one on both of my wings... Could you please undo the chains?"
He looks back down at Aimi, who nods. He turns back and does as requested, unraveling the chains and breaking them where they could not be unraveled.
Likewise, the mech, Skyfire, does as requested and turns, allowing them to see the insignias on his rather broad wings.
"You are a flier?"
"Yes."
"Seeker?"
"Shuttle, actually. I can use mass displacement quite well."
Once back outside, Skyfire is able to stretch out, but pays special attention to his wings, checking every piece of them to insure no damage has been done during his time in that compound.
While Aimi likes the idea of having someone to fly them to places, Optimus doesn't seem very interested in keeping him around. Aimi assumes that's just 'cause Skyfire's a mech, who would pose more of a threat to her than a femme would.
Nonetheless, the Prime is a mech of knowledge, and the more he knows in a situation, the more solidly he can make decisions. So, of course, he looks past the mech's preening to ask more questions.
"How long have you been in Sector Five?"
"Uh..." Aimi concludes that he obviously wasn't expecting said preening to be interrupted. "I don't know. A few vorns, maybe? I don't have much memory left from before, so I can't recall how or when I got there. I just remember them all deserting me, and the fact that I'm an Autobot. Loyal, I might add."
"Telling me you are loyal will not earn my trust."
"Yes, I…I gathered that."
It must have been absolutely killing Simmons up until this point, because he can't help but interject: "Guys, can we go now? I feel like we're on the brink of disaster!"
Aimi gives him a sharp look. "You always feel like you're on the brink of disaster."
"How would you know that?"
"I was trapped in a small space with you. For eighteen hours."
Before it can turn into an argument, Skyfire steps forward, earning a sudden movement from Prime, who steps between him and the humans.
"Come on, relax. I was just going to say the human is right. We should be going. Do you have coordinates for me?"
"I need to contact Drift."
He steps off to the side to do so, but never takes his optics off the other three during the entirety of the comm. call.
A/N
Look at all the pretty words! It took a lot longer than it should've, but I finally got it out!
I hope you all enjoyed the surprise that was Skyfire. Because Jetfire just didn't cut it.
Review Replies
To BotQuester (guest): (C10) Yes, after the angst is all said and done, I'll be more free to "release the fluff," as I say. Did you enjoy the surprise of Skyfire?
To Ekeifer: (C10) I'm glad to hear that, but please don't hurt yourself! But yes, I like to imagine Optimus would put on the intimidation act every time after a few bad impressions. In Simmons' case, it's a lot, so I just can't help but form a sort of rivalry between the two. I'm also very glad you find the dynamics of this Optimus-Aimi relationship interesting. I certainly do try, I can't help but throw my headcanons of psychological Cybertronian behavior into it full-on. For instance, yes, he listens to Aimi (and somewhat "obeys" her), but he is a mech, so at the same time he has some issues with pride/self-esteem/trust, and in this case issues with damaged pride/self-esteem/trust. Bottom line is, I just love pouring out my ideas into my writing in a way that makes people have to think a little sometimes. Well, if you notice/have noticed any missing/unneeded words or letters, please let me know where so I can fix it.
(Wow, only two reviews that time... What happened?)
And to Photon Stars, Of-Light-and-Shadow, Waterfront, IndigoMona, .7, and Sephideth, thank you for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!
I sincerely appreciate everyone who leaves a review, especially those constant reviewers. You all are a big part of what keeps me writing!
Announcements
Yes, I have announcements today!
First, since I have returned to school and I still have the job I started in the summer, my updates will be far apart, so please expect only once a month. It isn't guaranteed what day I'll be updating on, and I might have two updates in a month sometimes, so be sure to check regularly. Once a week or once a day, I don't care. Whatever's convenient.
And second, I'm going on a vacation in a couple of weeks. My first time in Florida! But that means I will have lots of writing time, and I plan to use it wisely to try and finish some other one-shots I've got going, as well as advance this story.
(Mini Announcement: One of the aforementioned one-shots is a little collaboration with my good friend Agent Frostbite!)