a/n - I'm having fun, are you? One of my favorite lines of the story is coming up in this chapter.
The proximity of the earlier attack by the Decepticons meant that the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum had been closed to the public for hours when they arrived late that night. Fornell waved Ratchet towards the delivery gate while he and Sacks planned on using their badges to gain access to the building. For the first time since the two FBI agents had arrived on the scene, Gibbs was glad to have them aboard. After the destruction of the NCIS building, waving around his own badge would have been a red flag. McGee was hidden in the back of the truck, where the night security would not see him as they waited.
Fornell straightened his FBI jacket as he watched Sacks do the same. They pulled up as close to the main door as they could and strode up the walkway as if they did this everyday. The night watchman at the front desk came up to the door, unlocking it when he saw the FBI badge pressed against the glass.
"Is there a problem?" The guard was green and nervous, that much was apparent, and it made it easier to pull one over on him.
"Did the evacuation order come through yet?"
"What?" He blinked at the older man, obviously terrified. Sacks almost felt sorry for him as he watched Fornell.
"Did the evacuation order come through yet?" This time Fornell spoke slowly and enunciated each word as if his question was the most obvious thing. It did the trick as the guard assumed he had missed something very important.
"No… no sir, what's happened, what do we do?"
Fornell made a show of checking his watch. "Damn it, we're almost out of time. Get your people and get out of here. Run, there's a command post being set up at the end of the street. Go there and wait for the HazMat team. Hopefully they have enough of the antidote and it's not too late to save you.
"Antidote?"
In less than two minutes Fornell was locking the door behind the last fleeing guard while Sacks looked on in surprise. "That went easier than I was expecting."
"It's all in the attitude." Fornell walked back to the loading dock. "I should talk to Gibbs about pairing you up with DiNozzo for a few weeks. That man is full of attitude."
Sacks stumbled to a halt behind him. "You're joking, right? Fornell? Fornell?"
---NCIS---
It was late when Ducky and Abby arrived at the college dorm where Sarah McGee lived, but all the lights were still on. They had checked Tim's apartment first, hoping she had retreated there, but there was no sign of her at the apartment. Half of the students had fled the college campus that afternoon when the Decepticons attacked the Yard. The rest were huddled together in the two largest dorms, the jocks self-appointed guards at the doors. Abby remembered which one was Sarah's and they parked outside the back entrance. Eyes watched from every window and she wondered if they would even be allowed through the doors. After a long wait while they were studied intently, Sarah came running down the stairs and flew into Ducky's arms.
"Is he all right? Tell me Tim's not dead."
Ducky stumbled back before regaining his footing and awkwardly patted her back as she sobbed. "There, there, my dear. We're going to take care of you until we can reunite you with your brother. Come along, we really need to be on our way before there's anymore trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" A well built young man, a football player by the looks of his jersey blocked their path. "Maybe she'd be safer here. Tell us first why those things are after her brother." His teammates were behind him and the crowd was restless with pent-up worry and anxiety.
Abby was getting that hinky feeling that was telling her time was running out so she went for brutal honesty. "They're after him because he thinks he's discovered a way to stop them. There are two groups of the robots; they were fighting a civil war on their homeworld. Something here on Earth will give one side ultimate power, so who do you want to see find it first? The robots who believe human life is sacred or the robots that are willing to kill us all to get it?"
The students seemed nervous, this was a video game come to life with no reset button. "Sarah, do you trust these people?" The voice was female, but Ducky couldn't locate her in the crowd.
She gave a watery smile. "My brother trusts them with his life; that's good enough for me." Abby hugged her while she continued to watch. Something was off, she just didn't know what. Just as they were turning to leave, she grasped what it was, as a black sedan drove past the dorm. Thinking back, Abby realized it was the second time she had seen the car go by. Looking closer, it was the make and model of sedan used by the CIA.
"We've got trouble, Duckman."
Ducky looked out the window and immediately knew what Abby meant. He turned to the football team. "Boys, we need a diversion. The people in that car plan on taking Sarah as a hostage to gain control of her brother, no matter the consequences."
The leader of the self-appointed guards and the slight, balding medical examiner made an odd pair as they planned out the escape. While plans were being made and protectors prepared, a group of girls raided their rooms for the quickest makeover in the history of Waverly College.
---NCIS---
"Any idea what we're looking for?" Sacks followed behind DiNozzo who was following McGee. He had decided he didn't want to know why McGee was wandering through the museum holding a rock with a pair of tweezers like it would light their way, so he had taken to quizzing DiNozzo.
DiNozzo wasn't quite sure how he'd ended up with Sacks as his wingman as he looked out for McGee. "It's something that could be as small as a cell phone or as big as a semi truck"
"Oh, that's helpful as hell." Whatever else he was going to say dried up in his throat as the rock McGee was holding began to glow and truly light their way. DiNozzo was only speechless for a moment before he was calling in the cavalry.
"Boss? Boss, I think we found something."
Tony's yell brought the rest of them just in time to see the shard of the Allspark fly out of McGee's grasp and smack into the landing gear of a SR-71 Blackbird, an amazing spy plane that was hanging from the ceiling. The glow from the Allspark spread to the landing gear first, then to the rest of the aircraft. McGee was the closest and the first to see the Decepticon symbol forming on the underbelly of the plane. He scrambled backwards, running into Sacks who was frozen, watching the transformation. As they tried to get untangled, DiNozzo continued to watch and was the next to see the dreaded symbol.
"Shit, shit, shit!" He turned to run, grabbing the two prone men by their jackets and lifting them. The three of them dove behind a MIG. Gibbs and Fornell joined them a moment later with Ziva carrying Java right behind them. Creaking and grinding accompanied the usual sounds as the Blackbird transformed. It was finally fully altered and standing on the floor, bent over. As it straightened, it hit its head on the Apollo 12 capsule that was part of the overhead display. It staggered to the side before eventually becoming fully upright. The sound was deafening, a combination of robotic and jet engine, before fading into a rumbling cough.
The Decepticon leaned forward to peer at his surroundings, thick lenses rotating down off the top of his head to fit over his eyes. Fornell leaned towards Gibbs. "He's wearing glasses? How old is it?"
Java was still in Ziva's arms, a chain attached to his neck as a leash. He looked up at the Decepticon and spoke in a hushed tone. "Seeker we have found; oldoldold I told you."
"Who's there? Come out before I blast you." He continued to look around, the squeal of metal against metal as his neck turned caused them all to shudder. He finally spotted them and pointed down at them. "Organics? Show yourselves." Cornered, they slowly stood up, their hands in the air.
The Decepticon watched them carefully as the missile launcher in his arm rotated out and into position. McGee moved forward, sidestepping DiNozzo attempt to grab his jacket again. "I'm sorry; we didn't mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep-shape now, we won't bother you."
There was no verbal answer from the robot; instead they watched a missile slide into position in the launcher before sliding down his arm to land on the floor with a loud thud. Everyone winced when the rocket hit the hardwood floor and were surprised to find themselves still alive. Two more rockets were loaded and fell the same way, causing the same reactions from the humans each time. When it was over, they moved up to stand next to McGee. Tony, of course, was the first to say anything as he turned to Sacks.
"Premature ejection, a common problem in warriors of his age. Right, Boss?" A glare made him back off. "Not that you would know anything about it, personally, Boss."
*Whack*
At first Tony didn't know how the head slap had been accomplished as Gibbs was the furthest away from him.
"Thanks, Fornell."
"No problem, Gibbs. We old geezers have to stick together."
Wondering why they were still alive despite the failure to arm the Decepticon had suffered, they looked back at him. He was trying to bend down to retrieve one of his missiles. He got part way down and could go no further. Apparently giving up, he raised slowly, his knee gears grinding and Gibbs wincing, and finally addressed them.
"Name is…" He looked around, as if deciding. "Name is Jetfire. Now, I have a mission, so must be off." He turned and began lumbering towards the exit, tilting slightly. He meandered a bit as he headed to the large exit door that led to the work area. He stopped at the door, apparently mystified, before using his electronics to override the lock.
This time it was Sacks leaning over to whisper at DiNozzo. "I'm no expert on these things yet, but that one seemed a little odd."
Gibbs was shaking his head, bemused while Fornell watched the robot's journey out of he room. "I was expecting something a little more… something."
Ziva was the first to answer him. "I don't think he is going to hurt us." DiNozzo finally found his voice.
"I don't think he remembers how."
Gibbs reminded them of one simple fact. "We can't just let him wander around by himself." Despite his ungainly gait, they had to scramble to catch up with him in the large courtyard the museum used to work on the aircraft.