Preface: Onto chapter two of this tail. Feel free to use Allston as I do not hold any rights to him. Thank you for reading I hope you enjoy.
Parking the car at the back most point at the base Jacob killed the engine. Opening the door he stepped out and stood. Looking to Cliff he rolled up his long sleeves.
"Those cons should be running any minute now" Jacob mused looking at his watch.
Cliff was at the door with an uneasy expression. Closing the car door Jacob strode over to the still living Cliffjumper. Both made eye contact with one another and he smiled.
"I've never got to say thanks, I owe ya big time kiddo" Cliff said with a rub of his chest.
"No problem but please don't call me that" Jacob retorted as he stepped from the room.
"I'm fine with that. Seeing the toy was probably the first time I've seen Optimus really surprised" Cliffjumper mused.
Jacob nodded only slightly. Stroking his scruffy chin he kept walking.
"Six Autobots instead of five I'll take that any day of the week" Jacob muttered as he looked to cliff.
Everybody had a dead certain fate but now he was just an anomaly along with himself. He shivered slightly. Better keep my wits up. He thought as he heard a ping from the PA.
"Jacob agent Fowler has just arrived just wait a few minutes before coming back" Optimus said and he really can't argue with that.
It was best just to let Optimus do his thing and talk Fowler down. Cliff chuckled and smiled.
"Ahh Fowler, if he were a weaker man his heart wouldn't keep up with his temper" He joked getting a snicker from Jacob.
Fowler hadn't been in the hot seat before when it came to this war, soon that was about the change and so with his opinions. Best to keep quiet for now. Only give a few hints here or there only when they needed it most.
"Same could go for Ratchet" Jacob slyly said making Cliff laugh harder.
"Oh primus I'm surprised he hasn't found a way to send you home yet" Cliff putting emphasis on the A made Jacob nod.
The doc wasn't found of humans, he knew that like the back of his hand. He would gladly bridge them away if Optimus would let him.
"He'll sure try" Jacob snickered as he rested against the nearby wall. "It's bigger than I imagined, has to be for you guys" He remarked looking down the hall.
Cliff shrugged indifferently. He thought it was a bit too archaic.
"Not my type really" Cliff admitted and Jacob could see his point.
After being called back he saw agent Fowler close to the elevator. He was taller than him and wider to. Fowler saw him and he looked indifferent about him.
"Agent Fowler its good to finally meet you, call me Jacob" he said greeting from the agent.
Fowler nodded but felt odd about it. He couldn't blame him but they would just have to make due.
"Ok kid, come on It'll be the better part of our day" Fowler said dryly.
Clearly the agent was tired and a tad annoyed. Poor guy. Jacob agreed.
"I'll be back once the others get here" Jacob said keeping it cryptic so Fowler wouldn't gleam too much.
Optimus waved as both men rode the elevator upwards. Ratchet gave Optimus a weary look and cleared his voice box.
"Why not just get everything out of him now?" He asked and Optimus gave him a side glance before turning to face him.
"He'll tell us what we'll need Ratchet, he's clearly done enough damage to our timeline as it is now" Optimus responded calmly. "He would have simply warned us if anything in the future will lead to our demise" Optimus logical said getting a nod from the medic.
Cliff with a cup of energon saw Arcee's and Bumblebee and Bulkhead's signal approaching on the map. He kept a sober expression. We're both unknownelements. He mused looking at Optimus and then to his energon. He owed Jacob far more than anyone here, he owed him his life for saving his. Good luck kid.
Getting everything set up was like pulling teeth, without using knockout gas making it even more painful. Many arguments entailed as both Jacob and Fowler walked up the stairs of a hotel. Jacob held a bad loaded with clothes paid for by the government as he reached the top of the stairs. He saw the room down the hall. 118. Walking over with Fowler in toe he pulled the key out. The hotel itself was a bit shabby, A few too many years old without much repair. Not the worst place he slept though.
"Not bad" Jacob muttered opening the door.
Peeking in he saw a bed, a small closet by the door, A bathroom and even a small kitchen. Shrugging he stepped in and tossed the bag onto the bed. Pulling out his phone he swapped the chips and tossed the useless one away. Fowler looked in and grimaced. Not even he would shack up in there.
"Any advice for the future?" The agent asked.
"Yeah, Tomorrow when you swing by at base I want you to just remain calm don't try to burn any bridges" Jacob said keeping a sense of crypticness to his voice.
Fowler tilted his head and looked at it puzzled. Jacob didn't look as he began setting up the room. Fowler shrugged it off and walked from the room closing the door behind him. Jacob grabbed the TV remote and flipped it on, for just background noise while he worked. I may be stuck here for the rest of my life but let's see what I can make of this damn situation. He mused as he continued to work. The sounds of the television drowning out external noise of the world outside out completely.
Optimus looked to be holding some information back. Arcee could see it. He nodded.
"2 humans, boys at that" He said sounding semi unfazed by the news.
He looked at the monitor and he then looked to Ratchet. Ratchet also wasn't as surprised even though he wasn't fond of humans. Something was wrong and it wasn't good. Arcee kept herself in check as she stood their besides Cliffjumper who looked a tad off.
"Two humans Eh?, could be worse" Ratchet commented.
{That's because you seal yourself in this base all the time} Bumblebee beep and clicked in mockery.
Ratchet rolled his optics as Bulkhead chuckled.
"Then he writes the whole species off because they remind him of the mobians" Bulkhead jokingly recalled.
Optimus smiled as Cliff also laughed. Ratchet ignored it and turned back to the main computer. They all broke away and went about their day in relative peace. Bumblebee went and did a few more patrols as Arcee took inventory on the energon, that was the excuse so she could do some snooping around for what was off. With data pad in hand she moved into storage room number 3. Moving past the open door she saw the rows upon rows of Energon containers. Soon this supply would dwindle to nothing if the cons kept their iron grip tight. Pushing it form her mind she stepped inwards taking inventory but keeping an optic out for anything or one abnormal. If nothing was here she would resign herself to relax. The rows upon rows made it like a maze, she still hasn't gotten used to it yet even though she had been on this rock for three years. A lot of earth is still a mystery to them, nobody just had the initiative and despite the Internet existing. Rounding another corner she heard larger footsteps at the door. She paused and looked behind herself and saw he had caught up extremely quickly. Odd. She thought as he had never really been this quick before, Unless it was too take down some drone troopers. His blue optics brought her comfort as she smirked.
"If you wanted to get me alone you could've just asked" Arcee said with a sly look on her face.
Cliff chuckled as he approached. Something was wrong with him he looked afraid. Wrapping his arms around her she could feel the elevated spark beat form within his spark chamber. Concerned quickly came over as he locked optics with her.
"Cliff what's wrong?..." She trailed off as he walked her around the corner.
"I saw your look, I know you're suspicious you can't hide it from me" He began as they rounded the corner. "I've got a lot of explaining to do anyway but the other two can't know about this now" He said gesturing to the car just only a few feet away.
Arcee looked surprised. A human was here after all.
"Where is it?" She asked immediately.
Cliff shook his head.
"Hotel, Fowler helped him get antiquated with his situation" Cliff jumper responded somewhat soberly. "He saved my aft Arcee... he knew my fate before I could even process it. He knows about you and tailgate and even how Bee lost his voice" he explained putting Arcee offguard.
She broke away and took a few steps backwards only to bump into an unmoving object. Looking up she saw Optimus giving a reassuring but also calming look.
"You knew...oh primus I should've known better" Arcee realised that she had been set up by the both of them.
"I really hope this could've waited till tomorrow. But you were just so insistent" Optimus half joked resting a hand on her shoulder then he began to explain who and how in detail.
End chapter