Chapter 29: The Hunt-Part Three

Simmons was in his office, stressed out with piles of paper on his desk while playing around with his calculator. He drank a few energy drinks to keep him up from falling asleep from boredom and fortunately it worked. He looked at every single paper with irritation on his face before hearing his door being knocked. He looked up with relief to see Miko who had her arms crossed and along with that same bitter facial expression when being taken out of her cell. It has been two weeks since she had been kidnapped by Agent Simmons and starting to think that her family was having a hugely difficult time planning on their rescue. During this time, Simmons has been given Miko and the others except for Evac a few privileges. Such as free time out of their cells, roaming around the facilities, and other things.

"Hey, kid," he said, hoping to get her to ease up on the bitter look. "I've been looking at your grades and based on your grade in your advanced math class, you're great with numbers." He motioned Miko to have a seat in the chair. "Especially in your taxes course."

"Aye," Miko said, crossing her legs after she sat down and looked at the piles of papers on the desk and floors. "I'm assuming you need my aid on filing your taxes? If so, then I require some demands."

"Demands?" Simmons raised his brow, but decided to see what she wanted. "Alright, what demands, little girl?"

"Well, I would like for you to give my cousin Raf access to your computers so he can contact his parents. His biological parents, I mean, and let Cindy do the same. Then, I want my key back that you stole from me. Refuse and I won't help file those tax papers of yours," she said firmly.

Simmons sighed in hearing those demands, having expected something similar. "Fine. I let Cindy contact her parents and...give back your key," he agreed.

"Wait...what about Raf contacting his parents?" Miko asked, looking at Simmons and thinking that he knew something that she didn't know.

The agent looked at Miko with a disappointed look on his face, looking as if he was really dreading his next words and he got up out of his seat, coming around the desk to talk to her, motioning her to stay seated. "Listen, Miko," he began before taking a deep breath. "I hate to be the one telling the bad news but...his family is...dead."

"Dead!?" Miko stood up from her seat with shock and pain in her heart. "How did they die!? Was it a bank robbery? A hit and run? Oh, no, please don't tell me that the Cons have killed them."

The pained look on Simmons face told her that her last guess was spot on. "Cons...yeah," he said softly before continuing. "A bot in a police car mode had pulled up to their house and demanded them two things. One was wanting to know where was the Allspark and your key, and two was to find out where you are. Of course, Raf's parents had no clue as to what those two were and...ended up being tortured by the bot's mini buddy until the fainted from loss of blood." He paused here, swallowing the lump in his throat. "The neighbors called the ambulance and had them rushed to the hospital where they were announced dead last week."

He looked to see the girl was in shock and he didn't blame her. Yeah, while he had his job, he never would have wished this to happen to any of their families. "I'm so sorry, Miko. This is one thing that I didn't want to happen to any of your family," he said with sympathy in his voice.

Miko covered her mouth to stop the sobs from escaping while her tears fell hard and she collapsed to the floor on her knees, grieving for Raf's parents. She had known his family as being the nicest people that she ever knew and always wanted her to stay over during the school days to keep Raf company since he was the only child. But the thought of them being murdered by Barricade was monstrous.

"I don't know how you are going to tell him about the loss of his family, Miko, but I suggest you butter him up before telling him," Simmons suggested gently while putting a few papers down. "It's hard to tell someone about the death of their own family member. Let alone being the whole family."

"No," Miko said as she wiped the tears off her face and shook her head in refusal. "It's my Aunt Windblade and Uncle Bulkhead's job to tell Raf the news. Because now, they are officially Raf's new mom and dad...full time."

The agent had to admire the girl in front of him. Despite being told the news, she was still keeping a brave face. He let out a sad sigh and looked at her. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked gently.

She nodded before looking at him and suddenly hugging him. Knowing it was because she needed comfort, he hugged her back. "I really am sorry," he said softly.

She could tell he meant it and nodded before taking a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "Let me work on your taxes, but don't think this means you're off the hook, Simmons."

He nodded. "Go ahead. I'll go talk to the agents about your other demands," he said before sighing sadly and walking away, hating that he had had to deliver the harsh news to the girl.

Hours had gone by and while Cindy was allowed to access the computers, the Japanese girl finished up Simmons taxes and smiled a little for her great work. Arcee had told her that she had started out as a tax filer before becoming a loan officer when working at one of her home planet's banks, and said that she would let Miko be a tax girl when they bring life back on Cybertron if that was what the girl wanted.

"Okay, I'm done," she said to Simmons, handing him the filed papers. "If the others need their taxes done, I'll do them under the same conditions I gave you."

"Fair enough, kid," he said and handed her back her key. "Have a good rest of the day."

Miko walked back to her cell to go to bed and to prevent from seeing cousin at the moment. She did not want to be reminded of Raf being a former orphan herself and didn't want to talk to him if he said hi or not because she knew she would just spill what Simmons had told her if she did. She laid her head on her pillow and slept away with June watched her sleep peacefully, wondering what was upsetting the poor girl so badly.

Meanwhile, back at the Autobot base, Windblade had just gotten through talking with child services who contacted her about signing the final papers of adoption and wanted to be happy about it, but couldn't do so after what caused the occasion to happen. She grabbed her new bottle of Wiz and started drinking it in depression, tears rolling hard down her face as she had wanted to meet Raf's parents for the first time and now it wouldn't happen at all. She made a vow that if she ever came face to face with the 'Con that hurt her new son's deceased parents, she would make him pay.

Arcee and Bulkhead watched behind the door to see how much pain Windblade was feeling. Sure, she and Bulkhead had once talked to Raf's parents by phone call to get to know them and such and started to form a good relationship, so this is a sad thing to be informed by Fowler about the tragic death of Raf's hold family.

"You should talk to her, Bulk," Arcee said, looking at Bulkhead with sadness on both her face and voice. "She needs her husband now more than ever before. You two are now officially full-time Mommy and Daddy."

"I know," Bulkhead said quietly as he entered the room with caution. "Honey?" He asked gently.

Windblade looked at her sparkmate and fresh tears began running down her face. "Oh, Bulkhead. Raf does not deserve this. Never," she sobbed out.

Bulkhead pulled his wife in for a hug and let her cry her optics out. "Everything is going to be okay, Wind. We are going to be the best mother and father to Raf that he ever has. We are going to love our son as if you gave birth to him all those years ago," he promised, vowing to be a good father to the boy that he was so fond of.

Windblade pulled her head off her lover's chest and looked at him with a warm smile, feeling better. "Thanks, Bulky. You know the right words to say in any situation. Including this one," she said, giving him a kiss.

Arcee smiled before leaving the new parents alone and heading back to her room, getting herself ready for the invasion of Sector 7 and getting her daughter back. It had been too long since she saw her little girl and wanted so badly to hug and kiss that young Japanese girl. She sat down on her bed and laid down to have a little bit of rest. Little did she know that the Allspark had transported her to the Realm of Sparks based upon the request of her dead husband. She opened her eyes and looked around the light blue endless void for a few minutes before laying her eyes on him as he came into view.

"T...Tailgate!?" She felt tears running hard down her face when she saw her dead husband smile at her and hold his arms out to hug her. "Tailgate!"

Arcee wasted no time in running and hugging the bot that felt real to her. So real. To make sure, she leaned in to kiss him and felt happy when remembering how his lips felt against her so long ago. Tailgate chuckled as he gently pulled away from the kiss and looked at his wife in happiness.

"I'm so proud of you, Arcee. You managed to stay strong for me and managed to live up to our dreams in which was having a child. Miko has your strong attitude and kindness despite her being human," he said before rubbing his wife's face soothingly. "I've never told you this, but if I died I want you to move on for me."

"I already have. I got our daughter," she said, looking confused when Tailgate gently shook his head with a gentle smile. "What do you mean by that, T?"

"I want you to get remarried. Miko needs a father and you need a husband."

Tailgate put his hands on Arcee's mouth to prevent her from refusing as he continued speaking. "I want you to be happy full time. You deserve it. I love you enough to let you be happy without me. We have the afterlife together. Until then, you be another man's wife. Remember don't do this just for me, do it for our daughter. Do it for Miko."

He gently removed his hand away from her mouth and kissed her one more time before fading away and Arcee then woke up in shock and started looking around to find herself back in her room and she sighed, touching her lips and felt something she couldn't see gently touch her hand and she nodded, remembering his final wish.

"Alright, Tailgate, I'll carry out your final wishes," she promised. "I'll give Miko a father, but know this: you will always be Miko's first and only adopted father. See you in the afterlife when my spark becomes one with the almighty Allspark."

She told herself that it would be alright before hearing Optimus through her comms. "Autobots, we have access to Sector 7 location and security. Prepare for departure and be ready to storm the place. Hard," came the leader's voice as he sounded ready for war.

"Mommy is coming for you, sweetheart," Arcee told herself before getting out of her room and headed to the main part of the base.

All the Autobots including Ratchet were ready to storm the dam of operations while Fowler jumped in Ironhide as the rest begin driving, running, or flying through the ground bridge.

It was time to do it and this time, it was both payback and personal.

Looks like they are on their way. :)

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GoldGuardian2418