Chapter 13
Determined Souls
Sam, Audrey, and Mikaela ran through the town till they made it to a hill and ran down a hill to get to another part of the town. But they saw in the distance, they saw something they didn't expect. They saw Sam and Audrey's parents a bit ruffed up and frightened running towards the two as Sam and Audrey ran towards them as well.
"Mom! Dad!" Audrey couldn't help but yell.
However, as a strange sound was heard Sam stopped causing Audrey to be jerked to a stop with Mikaela little farther ahead. Suddenly, a Decepticon came from the building in front of them blocking their path.
Their parents fell to the ground. Mikaela fell down on the side of a ruined house. Sam fell down along with Audrey as he covered her. The Decepticon shot a warning shot causing Sam and Audrey to get up right away. They soon saw the Decepticon pointing its weapon at their parents.
"Wait! Wait!" Sam yelled holding his hand in surrender and Audrey quickly followed.
"Kids, run!" Ron yelled frantically.
"Get out of here!" Judy added.
"Dad, just stop they don't want you!" Sam yelled. "They want us!"
The Decepticon quickly turned them fiercely pointing his gun at their parents. "Stop it! Stop it!" Audrey yelled as she let her eyes and hands glow. "This is what you want! You want this!"
The Decepticon still pointed the gun at their parents. Sam quickly took out the sock filled with the matrix dust. "Don't hurt them. You want us not them," said Sam as calmly as possible.
"Stop! Stop!" Ron continued to yell desperately at his kids.
"Listen to your father!" Judy added.
Suddenly, Audrey heard a whistle behind her. She glanced behind her, to see Bumblebee behind the building ready to attack. Audrey used her leg to nudge Sam, as best as she secretly could, nodded her head behind her. Sam gave a quick look and turned back forward to the Decepticons. "I know you need us," Sam started as the two started to back up. "Cause we know about the matrix and the guardian."
"Just go! Just go!" the parents continued to yell to no avail.
"We have it, okay," Audrey said calmly but less calmly than Sam, it seemed to get the Decepticons full attention. "Here!" she shouted and shot a blast from her hands. The Decepticon stumble back a little in pain.
"Bumblebee!" Sam quickly yelled.
Bumblebee jumped out of his hiding place and drop-kicked the Decepticon, causing him to fall to the ground. Bumblebee quickly lowered his mask and the two fought. Judy and Ron took the moment and quickly ran to where Sam and Audrey were. Judy quickly grabbed her daughter's hand as the four ran to the corner, where Mikaela stood. When they made it, Audrey could feel her mother hold her close in protective position as the fight continued.
Bumblebee continued to fight the large Decepticon and was winning. Then a cat Decepticon jumped and started to claw and attack Bumblebee. Bee finally grabbed the cat by its tail till he ripped him to his spine. Bumblebee then used the spine to attack the other Decepticon again. Bee then grabbed the Decepticon and kicked it dead in the stomach causing it to fall apart and fall down dead.
Bumblebee then lifted his mask. Sam looked at Bee. "Bee?" he questioned.
Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah!" he managed to say or mutter.
The four then quickly ran as Bumblebee stood behind to cover them. Judy still held on to Audrey as Sam stayed with Mikaela and Ron in some way lead them. "Hey," shouted above the noise to the group. "I don't know what's going on but we gotta move!"
Suddenly shots rang out causing everybody to scramble. Audrey could just feel her mother cover her tighter as they hid behind some old cars. Sam stood up a little. "Bee! Bumblebee!" he called. Bumblebee came back looking over his shoulder. "You get them somewhere safe! Alright?" Sam ordered, and Bumblebee nodded as he started to transform.
Sam quickly turned to his frightened father. "You got to get in the car and get to safety!"
Ron quickly shook his head. "No, this isn't up for discussion!" he yelled.
Audrey started to easy from her mother's grasp. "Dad, please," she begged.
"No!" he yelled back. "You're my son! You're my daughter! You're my kids!"
"I know!" Sam yelled back.
"We're going together!" Ron yelled. "We're all going together!"
"Dad, stop okay!" Sam yelled.
Audrey could hardly say a word after that. She had never seen Sam yell so desprately at her father. It was... terrifying. Her mother didn't say anything but her grip on Audrey said it all to her: she didn't want her or Sam to go.
"Get in the car," Sam instructed his father. "He's gonna get you to safety. You run. You don't stop, you don't hide, you run. You hear what I'm saying, okay? I'll find you when you're safe."
"No!" Ron yelled. "No!"
Audrey finally broke from her mom's grip and let her eyes glow. "You can't stay!" Audrey yelled back. Ron was about to argue but stopped when he saw his daughter's glowing eyes. "You can't stay. We have to go to." Audrey could feel her body shake. Just saying it out loud terrified her even more. "We have to."
"You gotta let us go, dad," Sam added. "You have to let us go."
Judy through reluctant quickly came to her children's side. "Ron. Ron!" she said quickly. "Let them go. Let them go!" she said though hesitant and yet begging tone.
Ron was quiet and deep in thought. He glared at Sam. "You come back!" he yelled. He then glared at his daughter. "Both of you come back!"
Audrey let her eyes stop glowing bet felt tears come out as she gave her dad a quick hug. She then ran back to Mikaela's side. Sam quickly went to Mikaela. "Mikaela. Go with my parents."
She quickly shook her head and glared at Sam. "No, I'm not going without you," she said.
Sam looked like he wanted to argue but didn't. Sam quickly took Audrey's hand and the three started to run again as Bumblebee drove off with Judy and Ron.
June had never thought she'd be upset to be without Sideswipe. With her hiding place destroyed and Decepticons forces increased, she was forced to hide herself a good distance away from Sideswipe as he fought ahead with Jazz and she was forced to stay with Ironhide and the Triplets. Her body was still shaking. This was the most intense she felt in a long time.
"June?!"
The voice was all too familiar to her. June quickly looked up to where the voice was. She saw Sam, Mikaela, and Audrey coming. June was happier to see her best friend still around even though she looked weak, but also, they were the reason they were here. She quickly turned from spot cuffed her hands around her mouth to the Autobots looking for Sam and Audrey. "They're here!" she yelled. "They're here!"
Ironhide quickly turned to see Sam, Mikaela, and Audrey arriving near June. "Sam! Audrey!" he yelled.
"Ironhide!" Sam yelled in response as June gave Audrey a very quick hug.
Chromia quickly skated over to the, now four. "Follow us to the pillars," she instructed. "We'll take you to Optimus."
Before anyone could say anything, shots and rang out multiple shots hit her, and she fell to the ground. June screamed and covered her mouth.
"Chromia!" Audrey screamed as Mikaela held her back. June looked down Chromia was hit straight in her spark and her eyes were… dull and lifeless. June looked back to see Audrey on the verge of tears. June didn't know Chromia well, Audrey, on the other hand, knew her well. In other words, she lost another friend.
Audrey could feel her body shake again, seeing Chromia's lifeless body. It just hurt her heart. She heard an engine rev up and saw Moonracer shooting at the Decepticon, who shot Chromia. She was quickly shot twice in the side. Luckily, Arcee covered her and shot back. "It's too much," Arcee yelled.
Ironhide quickly turned behind struggling to shoot back. "Sam! Audrey! Get to the pillar!" he yelled over the shots.
"Let's go," Sam yelled. Audrey couldn't turn away from Chromia's dead body, but Mikaela and June forced her to move. They soon ran deeper into a line of fire into the Deceptions' side. Making it a lot harder and a lot more dangerous.
Suddenly, Audrey heard a low growl. She turned back as they ran to see Megatron and he was not happy. "He's behind us! Megatron's behind us!" Audrey warned.
"Just keep going!" Sam yelled in response.
Audrey tried to let her hands and eyes glow, but when her eyes lite she felt a sharp pain. She quickly closed them and stopped the glow. Her abilities were now starting to hurt her. It was worse. Time was running out.
The group soon saw Lennox and the others as well as Sideswipe in view. Sam frantically waved yelling to get their attention.
Sideswipe soon saw them. "Sam! Audrey!" he yelled back. "Sam and Audrey are here!"
Shots rapidly filled the air causing the four to fall to the ground. Sam quickly covered Audrey as Mikaela covered June.
Audrey looked up to see Jazz with Sideswipe. "Sides! Help me, cover 'em!" Jazz ordered. Sideswipe quickly replied and the two started to shot dashing across the sand. Lennox and Epps took the chance to get behind wall yelling for the four to come. The four ran Lennox grabbed Mikaela's and June's arm pulling them behind the wall as Sam with Audrey in hand followed.
"You better have a good reason for being here," Lennox stated.
"Where's Optimus?" Sam asked as if ignoring Lennox's statement.
Lennox pointed to an area, some little ways away. "He's right over there across the courtyard."
"We've got to get to him right now," Sam said.
"No. We've got an air strike coming," Lennox responded.
"I have to get to him right now!" Sam yelled.
Lennox quickly looked to Audrey. Audrey looked at him. Lennox looked like he was quickly examined her. Audrey had a strange feeling, June told him about her. Audrey with more effort than she wanted, shook her head. Before Lennox responded, he and Epps moved the four deeper behind the wall as an explosion went off.
Through the shots, Audrey heard a familiar voice and a crash. Audrey peeked to see Jetfire fighting another Decepticons. Jetfire grabbed one a laid him against the wall. "Now let me show you how brought pain our day," he taunted. He then stabbed him in the neck with his staff and then smashed his foot down causing the Decepticons head to fall off his body and roll.
June saw this looked to Audrey no more frazzled than she already was. "Who the heck is that?!" June asked over the loud noise.
"Long story!" Audrey responded.
Suddenly, a scorpion looking Decepticon leaped over the wall and attached himself to Jetfire. He the blast shot close to Jetfire's spark. Though in pain, he pulled the Decepticon off his body and quickly smashed its head, killing it. "I'm too old for this crap," muttered lying on the ground.
Audrey as fast as she possibly could peek out more. "Jetfire! Crazy Con! Are you okay?"
Jetfire looked to see her. "Worry not… guardian," He said holding his chest in pain. "Hurry and… merge."
Lennox looked even more confused. "Merge?"
"Longer story!" Sam responded.
Before anyone could say anything else, another explosion went off. Audrey and June gave a small scream as they got closer to the others. "Alright," Lennox started to say getting their attention. "We're gonna make a break for Optimus, okay?" You stick with me. You stay on my ass!" he ordered.
"Why the hell wouldn't we?!" June responded as the others nodded and they all got ready to make a break for it.
"I hope these F-16's have good aim," Epps stated to Lennox.
Why's that?" Lennox asked as he glanced at Epps.
"I told them to hit the orange smoke," Epps replied.
Lennox glanced at the orange smoke just on their right. Lennox gave slight look that said, 'You've got to be kidding.' "You mean that orange smoke?" He asked a bit wearily.
"That wasn't my best toss okay," Epps said drily.
They two then glance at one another and then stared ahead. "Run!" they yelled. Everyone instantly ran towards a certain area. Audrey pushed her weak legs as hard as she could. At this rate, by the time she reached Optimus, she would pass out. Then explosions filled the air again. Shots rained down on where the orange smoke was behind them causing them to run faster. "Incoming!"
"Sides," Jazz said still firing. "Keep cover 'em."
"I've got it! I've got it!" yelled Sideswipe responding with shots.
As shots continued, Audrey saw Sam grab her wrist. "Come on," Sam yelled. Audrey nodded as they two veered to the side running towards Optimus. Audrey looked back to see Megatron with his gun ready. Audrey tried to let her eyes and hands glow, but she screamed in pain cause her to slightly stop. Sam gave a quick look to see Audrey in pain and Megatron fire his weapon close to the ground. Sam quickly covered her. The two went flying through the air and landed roughly on the ground. Audrey landed roughly beside him.
Audrey felt… everything. It all hurt. She slowly looked to see her brother… motionless with his eyes closed. She felt like she could hardly breathe and that mostly was true. Not him… he couldn't be… She looked to see Megatron about to fire again. She felt herself fight through the pain and let her eyes and hands glow. She fired rapid shots at Megatron. She even felt her nose bleed as she continued. Soon other shots were fired causing Megatron to transform and fly off.
Audrey soon felt the glow stop. She felt everything… shut down. She felt she had no choice… she collapsed and despite how she felt, she didn't get up.
"No!" Mikaela yelled as she broke away from Lennox and ran to Sam and Audrey.
June just felt her heart stop. This couldn't be it. This couldn't be. June quickly sprinted to Audrey before Lennox or Epps could notice. "Audrey! Audrey!" she yelled desperately as she ran.
By the time June got there, Mikaela was shaking Sam and Audrey as fast as she could. June quickly pulled Audrey on her back to see Audrey's eyes barely open and blood underneath her nose. Before June could do anything else, she felt someone roughly pull her away. She collected herself to see it was Epps and to see Lennox was with Sam and Mikaela. "Lennox, do something!" Mikaela yelled. Lennox quickly did CPR on him as best as he could.
June looked to see Epps doing the same to Audrey. She hoped it worked but… Audrey looked so weak and drained when she saw her and what she told her… No, she had to. She had to make it. "Help her," she almost whispered. "Help her!" she yelled.
In the distance, Judy and Ron were running through ruins calling for the kids. Only for soldiers to hold them back. "Sam! Audrey! Aude! Sammy!" she yelled desperately in begging voice struggling against the soldiers. "They're my babies! She yelled still struggling.
Ron was soon tackled by the soldiers and continued to struggle. "Those are my kids!" He yelled. "Sam! Audrey!"
Bumblebee looked over the wall in shock and sorrow. "No, no," he muttered falling on his knees, seeing his friends lifeless.
The medics came in and Lennox held Mikaela back and Epps held June back as each officer used separate defibrillators on the two. As each attempt failed, June looked away as tears fell from her eyes. As she soon as felt Epps let her go. She knew… Audrey wasn't okay.
June quickly went over to Audrey and grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Listen, you dummy!" She shouted as tears rolled down faster. "You wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" June yelled. Audrey slightly, with her barely open eyes, look over at her. "You are stubborn! You are my best friend and I need you!" June felt Audrey squeeze her hand as tight as she could. "I need you! Please get up!" she begged. She then felt Audrey's hand slump in hers and her eyes closed. "No," she begged. Audrey didn't move. "No! Get up! Get up!" Audrey didn't move, and June just held her hand friends hand and cried.
Audrey didn't feel pain anymore, she felt almost peaceful. She didn't want to open her eyes or even move.
"I need you to stand," said a voice… familiar to her. "I need you to awake."
Audrey slowly blinked open her eyes. She saw a dark-skinned man with a neutral look on his face with slight black hair, dressed in cloth. Audrey knew him all too well. "Adio," she said as she got up as fast as she possibly could. "You're Adio."
She then looked around to see herself standing the desert. "Where?" she started to ask. "Oh," she said running her hand through her hair. "Am I died?"
"Not necessarily," he said calmly.
"I," she started trying to think everything through. "I don't get it." Audrey then gave a dry chuckle. "I don't get anything."
Adio hummed in response. "You and your brother are such determined souls."
Audrey's eyes widened as she remembers what happened and Sam. "Sam! Where's my brother?"
"Same as you," Adio stated simply. "But not here."
Audrey then felt herself relax but not too much but enough for tears fill her eyes. "I saw… I saw everything you did," she then just started to cry. "I can't do that. I am fourteen! Fourteen! I am a kid with way too much power. I can't!"
Adio frowned. "Who says that?" he stated firmly. Audrey looked at him a bit confused. "Who told that? Till you believed that?" Audrey just felt her body straighten up. "You have done everything. Everything, to save my brother, your brother!" He then grabbed her shoulders shocking her a little. "You a such a determined soul to do everything, you said you couldn't."
Audrey and Adio made eye contact with each other. She felt as if he was an old friend, though she didn't really know him. She felt a connection. "I made that mistake and let my brothers suffer for so long before it was too late for them. Learn from the past. You know who you are and what you can do. Stop denying it."
"I'm scared," she admitted.
Adio looked at her gently. "Will you let it have you and the ones you care about?"
Audrey looked down. He was right. She was scared but her fear already killed Optimus. She wouldn't let it take Sam, Mikaela, June, or anyone else. She was a teenager. She was stubborn and didn't always think things through with a lot of power. But, she was determined. She was brave, determined, and knew what the power she has so much of was meant for. She was Audrey Witwicky, guardian of Allspark; no matter what anyone said.
Audrey looked at Adio with a determined look. Adio nodded and gave a small smile as he let go of her. That small smile made her feel… safe and proud. " The Matrix of Leadership," he started to explain. "is earned not just to take. You and your brother have done that," He then whipped her tears. "When your brother wakes, he will take the Matrix from your hand and stick it into Optimus' chest. You and Optimus shall return."
"What about the merge?" Audrey asked.
"Don't you feel it?"
Before Audrey could ask, she heard a voice. "Audrey! Audrey!" yelled a familiar voice.
Audrey quickly looked around. "Sam? Sam?!" she yelled. She then looked back to see Adio was gone.
"Audrey, where are you?" Sam's voice asked.
"Sam," she said. "Sam, when you wake up. Take the Matrix from my hand and stick it to Optimus' chest. Optimus and I will be fine," she said.
"Audrey, what happened? Where are you?" he asked.
Audrey just stood calmly to keep herself calm, though so desprately wanted to tell her brother. There wasn't timOptim "Sam, wake up. Wake up."
She felt her body shut down again and the world went dark.
June looked up from her tears to hear Sam gasping for air with eyes open causing Mikaela 's face to calm him down saying something she couldn't hear. June, in shock, quickly looked down to Audrey. Audrey's eyes were still closed and she didn't move but the hand, June wasn't holding, started to glow and dust gathered in her glowing hand turned into a strange alien-like object. June felt her eyes widened. "Oh my god," she whispered.
"Audrey," June looked to see Sam crawling toward his still lifeless sister as Mikaela followed. He looked at his sister and lightly touched her face. "Audrey."
"Sam," June started. "She's—"
"She'll be fine," he said. June and Mikaela looked at him shocked. "Because she told me she will."
Before two girls could question, Sam quickly took the Matrix from his sister's hand and ran over to Optimus and then quickly climbed onto his chest. Then holding the Matrix above his head and stab the Allspark into Optimus' spark. As soon as the Matrix was in his chest, his spark started to light up. There was the sound of the thrum as almost as if something was starting back up. His optics started to light up and his started to cough up sand as he started to breathe again. Sam quickly jump off his chest, so Optimus could sit up.
At almost the same time, both of Audrey's hands started to glow causing June to let go of her hand in shock. Audrey quickly opened her eyes, that were glowing as well. She quickly gasped for air. June could feel her heart beating faster. "Audrey!" Audrey started to sit up as her breathing was under more control and her glow died down. Almost in an instant, June wrapped her arms around Audrey. Audrey looked to turned to see a just as dazed Optimus sitting up. Audrey felt herself give weary smile. "Optimus," she said awe.
Optimus looked at Sam and then saw Audrey and then back to Sam, "Boy," he said. "You came back for me." Sam didn't say a word, but his face was in awe and relief.
"A living Prime," Jetfire said in awe, still holding his chest. "I don't believe it!"
Audrey felt tears fall from her eyes as June had loosened her grip on her. "Sam!" she yelled as best as she could. Sam looked to Audrey, to see her sitting up and started to run over to her. Audrey's smile quickly dropped. She felt something all too familiar her. It was… oh no. Audrey looked stood as best as she could. "Look out, he's—"
Before Audrey could finish, a Decepticon suddenly warped out of nowhere. He was old but stood tall and a looked pretty powerful. It was the Fallen, himself. He knocked many people down by just his appearance, but he also swung his staff causing more to fall including, the already wobblily, Audrey. He then stepped onto the still beaten and weak, Optimus' chest and took the Matrix from his spark. Holding the Matrix in his hand, he muttered, "My Matrix."
Before anyone could respond, he quickly grabbed Audrey. Audrey screamed her head off as she was lifted off the ground. June saw this and desperately grabbed her friends and hands. "No! No!" she yelled as she desperately tried to pull her friend away from the Fallen's grasp. But as quickly as she did that. She fell roughly to the ground.
"And you guardian," the Fallen said as Audrey struggled and kicked desperately as she was too weak to even shock him. "You will fulfill your purpose."
Audrey screamed again. "Help me, please! Help—" it was too late and the Fallen had warped away.
As Optimus struggled to get up as Sam and Mikaela ran to where Audrey and June were only to find June, roughly sitting up. "June," Sam started to quickly ask. "Where's Audrey? Where's Audrey?"
June sat up looking terrified. "He took her!" she yelled. "The Fallen took her!"
A/N: Cliffhanger! I am cruel. But anyway hope you enjoy and happy holidays.