This chapter is the second half of 'Nemesis Prime'. Please read it first.
Also a reminder, there is a side chapter that is set before 'Nemesis Prime' involving the Rescue Bots. It was posted separately and can be found on my page.
This chapter is based on 'Grill' (s2e9).
It took a several days to get things sorted. Fowler managed to get Liliy-Agent Lee, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time-temporary placement to his division, Unit E. She was a great help at gathering all the pieces of Nemesis Prime and at least part way reassembling it. Getting it to work again was impossible with the crushed helm. Fowler highly suspected that was on purpose.
When someone suggested that they might be able to rebuild the robot, Liliy shot it down, saying that they should leave the project alone until they were sure MECH was gone for good. It would be very bad if they found out and tried to steal the tech back.
Finally, General Bryce called Fowler and Liliy up to his office for a meeting.
"Special Agent Fowler, Special Agent Lee, please come in," the general said, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk.
There was another soldier in the room holding a video camera and, going by the indicator light, it was recording.
"What's Private Daily doing here with that camera?" Fowler asked as he entered. Liliy followed and shut the door.
"He will be making a record of today's debriefing," Bryce answered as he stood up. He stepped around his desk and offered a hand to Liliy. "Agent Lee, we finally meet. I have heard a lot about you. Thank you for your help so far."
General Bryce was shorter than both Liliy and Fowler. His close cut, brown hair was starting to gray around the edges and a heavy moustache covered his upper lip. It seemed he liked to be comfortable like Fowler, wearing the jacket of his uniform open and his tie loose under his collar. Liliy felt a little 'overdressed' with her suit jacket properly buttoned and her tie tight under her collar, but she shook his hand anyway.
"It was not a problem, General."
"You know, your technological know-how could be a great asset to Unit E. If you ever think of switching agencies, we would like to have you."
"Thank you for the invitation, sir. I'll keep it in mind."
"Very good." General Bryce returned to his seat. Fowler and Liliy sat down as well. "Now then, as we get started, Bill, I need to inform you that our higher-ups are on the warpath."
"They want answers regarding recent events," replied Fowler.
"Perhaps we should begin with the demise of Optimus Prime," Bryce said, utterly serious.
Liliy, for her part, kept her reaction a quiet, but amused snort. Fowler shot her a stern glare before answering.
"I thought we straightened all this out. Prime is alive and well."
"That's difficult for our superiors to accept. Without the benefit of seeing Optimus and the alleged imposter."
"Side by side?" asked Fowler.
"Weren't there witnesses at the attack on Alden Military Base?" Liliy wanted to know. "As I understand it, Optimus and the imposter were there at the same time. Or is it the same here? The higher-ups don't listen to their lower ranked subordinates."
"I'm not sure I want to know who you are comparing us to but-" Fowler looked to Bryce for an answer. "Were there witness statements taken?"
"Probably but it seems they were not added to the official report."
"Of course not." Fowler sighed. "Well, let's consider a few of the positives. We now possess greater intel regarding MECH." He opened one of the file folders that he had brought with him. It contained a list of all the deceased from incident. He handed it over to the general. "While their leader, Silas, was ex-special tactics, a one Colonel Leland Bishop, several of their other members were still active military, which is why they kept their faces covered. I would urge a thorough investigation. Especially since we don't know if there are more MECH agents out there. And leave bigger threats to metal hands more capable than our own."
Bryce glanced over the list and then set it aside. "Because you've been allowed to operate at such deeply classified levels, Agent Fowler, perhaps you could provide some background."
"Ah, I think Agent Lee here would be better suited for that."
Bryce raised a curious eyebrow but nodded for Liliy to go ahead.
"The alien race that has been nicknamed 'Transformers' for their ability to transform as a way to disguise themselves," Liliy said, already used to giving this speech, "are actually autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. They've been fighting a war for a long time. There were some other issues but mostly it was over their world's supply of energon, the fuel and life blood of all Cybertronians. As the war drew on and got worse, both sides began hiding their energon off world. That is the reason energon deposits exist on Earth. But where energon went, war followed. Cybertronians have actually been on this planet for far longer than humans realize."
"And the battles over energon, and its dark counterpart," added Fowler, "continue to this day."
"And you know this for certain?" asked Bryce.
"There are too many vehicon casualties to suggest otherwise," said Liliy, glancing off to the side as if she hadn't meant to speak aloud.
"Vehicon? What's that?" asked Bryce.
"Decepticon troops."
"I've seen more than enough to make me a believer," Fowler added. "But I also rely upon field reports from Team Prime which I in turn share with you."
"Everything goes into those field reports?" asked Liliy, looking to Fowler.
"I'm sure some minor details get left out from time to time," he admitted.
"Let's skip ahead to the history of your involvement, Agent Fowler," said Bryce.
"Well, as you know, I wasn't overjoyed with what I assumed was going to be a bot-sitting assignment," Fowler said. "But its occupational hazards turned out to be surprisingly severe. And by now the Bots have saved my bacon more times than I can count. 'Course, I've returned the favor a time or two. Sometimes exercising my authority or relying upon quick thinking. But even I have made a few mistakes."
"Have you had any contact with the Autobots yet, Agent Lee?" asked Bryce.
"Not as of yet. But I was hoping that Agent Fowler would be able to introduce me to them after this is over." She looked at Fowler again.
"We'll see," he huffed.
"If you would, Agent Fowler, provide a roll call," Bryce asked.
"So we'll know who's who in the event another Bot snaps?"
"Something like that."
"Well, there's…" Fowler started with Bulkhead and listed off the current members of Team Prime, aside from Optimus, and Wheeljack since he was technically rogue, giving their roles and a little bit about each Bot. He finished off with telling about how Bumblebee lost his voice box to Megatron.
"So, the Autobots aren't quite the indestructible war machines we'd hoped."
"Don't misunderstand, General," Liliy jumped in. "Cybertronians can take serious punishment."
"But they do have their vulnerabilities," added Fowler. "We learned that the hard way, when we lost Cliffjumper."
"And, for the record, Cliffjumper was the last Autobot casualty?"
"I told you the lifeless mech you have in storage isn't Prime!" Fowler insisted, gesturing in the general direction of said robot. "It's a knock off!"
"I'm pretty sure that was mentioned in the report. And since Silas and the control tech were also recovered, I'm confused about what the problem is here," Liliy wondered.
"The higher-ups are still skeptical," Bryce said. "Let us proceed. Agent Fowler, your last debriefing indicated that Optimus Prime had joined the Decepticons."
"Not willfully!" Fowler stood up, hoping to get his point across better. "Prime had amnesia! I know I was clear on that."
"But you can see where outside observers can connect the dots to the recent attack on our base."
Liliy facepalmed. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Bill, the higher-ups have grown nervous that we've been placing our trust in beings who could so easily inflict harm if they choose to turn on us," said Bryce, leaning back in his chair.
Fowler just stood there for a moment, realizing he himself had had those same thoughts after seeing what the CRC did to MECH.
"The Autobots are not the ones you should be worried about," Liliy pointed out grimly, shaking Fowler from his stupor.
"General Bryce, Prime is no loose cannon!" Fowler insisted. "The Bots may be big but they watch where they step. Heck, even the kids-"
"Kids?!" interrupted Bryce.
"Oh, so you left out those little details huh?" asked Liliy.
"Uh, ha. 'Kids'…" Fowler nervously took his seat again. "That's what we call our..." He searched for the right words. "In-house support team."
"I wasn't aware that you were utilizing any of our resources other than yourself," said Bryce.
"They're… not enlisted," admitted Fowler.
"You've involved civilians in a classified operation?"
"Highly accomplished civilians, who contribute specialized expertise in…" Fowler glanced at Liliy to find her watching him with an amused smirk. "Computer science, medicine, and communications. Among other things."
"So, they know how to take orders?" Bryce wanted to know.
"You, could, say that…" Fowler hedged, knowing that Liliy was still smirking at him. He straightened up. "But what they lack in military discipline, they more than make up for with outside-the-box problem solving. Their courage is to be admired. And they've proven time and again, that they're willing to put their lives on the line for their country and their planet."
That made Liliy drop her smirk.
"So, your civilians have made enemy contact," said Bryce.
"They've pretty much seen it all," admitted Fowler. "But rest assured, the safety of these humans-of all humans-remains the primary concern of the Autobots. And our colleagues wouldn't have it any other way. They've forged meaningful bonds with the Bots. And they provide valuable assistance when I'm otherwise engaged in the field. However, their involvement was never intended to be anything other than humanitarian. To provide the Autobots with the means of better understanding life on our planet.
"Sadly, though," Fowler continued, changing the subject, "we haven't begun to take full advantage of their science. I mean, I can pilot my VTOL without ever having to wear a flight suit."
"What keeps your organs from exploding?" asked Bryce.
"A modification Ratchet performed on the cabin pressure regulator," explained Fowler. "I like to be comfortable."
"We may be getting off track," said Bryce. "Please address why we haven't yet been served Megatron's steel head on a silver platter."
"It's harder than you think," Liliy said with some feeling behind it.
Fowler quickly took over explaining, hoping the General didn't pick up on that. "The leader of the Decepticons has nine lives. Plain and simple. And it's not like we haven't tried. However, the sick part is, the moment we might've pulled it off, we needed him. Megatron actually helped us save humanity."
"Elaborate."
"We found ourselves facing an even bigger threat than MECH or the Decepticons," said Fowler. "Literally, an enemy within-"
"Which you don't need to elaborate any further on, Agent Fowler," Liliy interrupted. "In my experience, the military gets a little jumpy when you start talking about ancient beings and mystical powers. Let's just say that the threat was neutralized, alright?"
Bryce nodded, understanding. "And Megatron proved to be an ally?"
"The circumstances were unique," continued Fowler. "Oddly, the Con most likely to be of service is Starscream. Only by default, because he may despise his team more than he despises ours. But even after Megatron attempted to terminate him, Starscream still tried to win his master's favor. Starscream's insecurity is what makes him less predictable than Megatron, and in some ways even more dangerous. He really needs to figure out if it's Megatron's job he wants or Megatron's approval."
"I must in turn ask why successful termination of Starscream has not been achieved."
"Air superiority continues to provide the Cons with the upper hand," Fowler replied, "though we've managed to inflict the occasional setback. But the fact remains, Starscream has supplied valuable intel since he went rogue. Not to worry, the Bots know better than to trust him implicitly. Fortunately for us, despite his strategic brilliance, Starscream is his own worst enemy. However, we are unsure of his current state at this time."
"He is currently a guest of the CRC," suppiled Liliy. "But he is not the only one who has taken flight from Megatron. Airachnid is on the loose again."
"The spider?" asked Bryce.
"If she is out again, it could be trouble," said Fowler. "Airachnid is sadistic as they come. She and Arcee have quite a history. I can't help be feel the next time they lock horns, only one's gonna walk away."
"Unless Megatron gets to Airachnid first," Liliy pointed out.
"So, the infighting among the Decepticon ranks continues?" Bryce asked.
"And then some," answered Fowler. "Megatron can't seem to keep his inner circle holding hands."
"And you don't think we could take advantage of the chaos, motivate a Decepticon to join our cause?"
"I don't know about joining your cause," replied Liliy, "but it might be possible to persuade one of them to at least leave the Decepticons."
"What about Dreadwing?" Fowler asked, looking at Liliy. "Optimus seems to respect him."
Liliy shot him a meaningful glance. "Not since he found out that the Autobots killed his twin, Skyquake."
"Twin? I didn't think the bots had siblings," said Fowler.
"There is the rare occurrence of twins among Cybertronians," Liliy explained. "Usually split-spark. Like siamese twins that share a heart but are separated at birth. Two parts of the same whole, if you will. However, if Dreadwing finds out about the dark energon incident, there might be something you can work with. Especially if Starscream somehow manages to worm his way back into Megatron's favor."
"Oh, right. About that, whatever happened to zombie Skyquake? Do you know?" Fowler asked.
"I was informed that he is resting in peace again."
Bryce cleared his throat to regain their attention. "Ahem. Back to the point. If Optimus believes that even a Decepticon holds the potential for change, why couldn't the reverse be true? No one truly knows what went on behind the Decepticon curtain while Optimus was off the grid. Not you. Not the Autobots-"
"That's not entirely true, General Bryce," corrected Liliy. "While Miss Scythe was disinclined to share the finer details, she assured me that Optimus was constantly being deceived by Megatron because of his amnesia but eventually he saw thru the lies and wished to once again help the Autobots."
"And how do we know Miss Scythe wasn't actually working with the Decepticons?"
The chair creaked as Liliy leaned forward. "Let me ask you a question, General Bryce. If the Decepticons came along and killed everyone you ever knew and cared about, would you consider joining them?"
"No. I would not."
"Then you share something with Miss Scythe," she said, leaning back again.
"For the record, Miss Scythe is not an Autobot," said Bryce.
"Correct," replied Fowler. "Liliy Scythe is a Canadian citizen that the Autobots took under their protection after they saved her from a Decepticon attack."
"One of your in-house support team?"
"Yes. But as it turns out, there was more to her than meets the eye. After Optimus regained his memories, he identified her as the Madam of the CRC."
"CRC?"
"The Cybertronian Rebel Corps," Liliy said. "A group of Neutrals who until recently have been watching from the sidelines. For the most part, they want to protect Earth from the Decepticons but they are not above killing humans, unlike the Autobots. It was Miss Scythe who took out Silas after all."
"So, if we decided to move against the CRC..." Bryce left the question hanging.
"Don't press your luck, General Bryce," Liliy warned. "As long as you leave them alone, they won't cause you any trouble. That was something Silas learned too late."
"If we asked them to hand over Starscream, would they do it?"
"No. Even if he is an annoying bastard, they won't do it," replied Liliy. "Something about how few Cybertronians are left or something like that."
"That's pretty vague," said Fowler.
"I know, but they weren't too inclined to share either."
"Hmh."
"So..." said Bryce. "To conclude…"
"Optimus Prime is alive and firmly on our side," Fowler replied. "The Autobots aren't going to turn on us. The threat of MECH and Silas has been neutralized-"
"And the CRC is willing to lend a hand in protecting humans," finished Liliy, "as long as you don't threaten their existence. Is that enough for you to make a case to the higher-ups? Or should we call Optimus over? He is waiting out in the parking lot, after all."
"Optimus Prime is here?" Bryce sounded surprised as he turned a questioning gaze on Fowler.
Fowler nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Ha, well. Um..."
Liliy got up and went to the window. She opened the blinds and looked out. Optimus was sitting in the parking lot closest to the building.
"Agent Fowler, may I borrow your phone?"
Fowler pulled out his phone and handed it over to her. "Prime is #2 on my speed dial."
"Thanks." She dialed Prime and looked out the window again. "Optimus Prime. The building directly in front of you. A window, three stories up, there is a man waving at you. See him?" She paused and waved until he answered. "Great. Now I know for a fact your holo-emitter just got fixed. Would you mind projecting into the room?"
It took a couple seconds but a man finally appeared in the room. The general and Private Daily freaked out a bit and even Fowler was surprised. The man was about the same height as Liliy but broader in the shoulders. He looked older, with touches of gray in his dark hair. Wore a red flannel and blue jeans. He looked around the room before focusing on Liliy.
"Do I know you?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"No. We haven't met yet. I'm Special Agent Lin Lee. A friend of Miss Scythe's."
"I see. And, Agent Lee, what did you need me to come up here for?"
"General Bryce here," she said with a gesture in the general's direction, "just needed to confirm the state of your health and welfare."
Prime's hologram flickered a bit as he turned to face the general, but the gaze of his energon blue eyes was still piercing. "I am fine, General Bryce. How are you?"
"I'm well, uh, soldier," replied Bryce, still a bit surprised.
"Optimus, since when could you…" Fowler couldn't quite find the words. "I mean, what is this?" He gestured to the holoform.
"Most of us can produce a holographic driver like Arcee does. We just tend not. Mine was actually broken up until Liliy fixed it while we were in Maine."
"So, General, is everything in order now?" asked Liliy.
"Uh… Yes. I believe I have everything I need to make a persuasive case that Optimus Prime is alive and well. And firmly on our side."
Fowler stood at attention and saluted. "We appreciate your support, sir."
Something beeped and then Private Daily finally lowered the camera. "The battery died."
"That's alright, Private. Just leave the camera on my desk and you're dismissed."
"Yes, sir." He set the camera on the general's desk and walked out.
"Prime, thanks," said Fowler. "You can leave now too."
"As you wish, Agent Fowler." And the holoform vanished.
"Agent Lee, thank you again for your help. My invitation still stands."
"It was my pleasure, General. And I will keep that in mind." She headed for the door and paused with her hand on the knob. "I'll see you outside, Agent Fowler."
Fowler nodded and then turned to General Bryce once the door was shut again.
"I have a few concerns about that man," said Bryce.
"About Agent Lee?"
"Yes." Bryce opened a desk drawer and pulled out several file folders. He laid them in front of Fowler. "I had someone do a little research on him. They found multiple profiles for him from a few different agencies. And a couple of them date back to almost a hundred years ago. Same name, same description. Most of them are around the same age."
Fowler flipped thru a couple of the files. There was a black and white photo in one of the oldest ones. The current Agent Lee looked exactly the same as the picture.
"You knew all this and you still invited him to become a part of Unit E?" asked Fowler.
"Well, he was a big help." Bryce sighed. "This is off the record, Bill. What do you know about Special Agent Lin Lee? He seemed pretty familiar with the Decepticons."
"And the CRC. And he knows more about the Autobots than he was letting on. General Bryce, that person you just met was one of the aliases of the Madam of the Cybertronian Rebel Corps. Her usual guise is that of a twenty-something female by the name of Liliy Scythe." He slapped the other file folder he had brought with him down on the desk. "My advice: try to stay on her good side. And accusing her of working with the Decepticons is not how you do that. Trust me."
Liliy was waiting for him just outside the building.
"Everything ok?"
"Everything is fine. Except for the fact that General Bryce investigated you and found out Agent Lee has been around for over a hundred years. It was off the record but I did tell him who you really are."
"And?"
"He'll let it slide this time. But try not to create any more casualties."
"I make no promises."
"If it's not related to the Bots, I don't need to know about it."
"Deal."
They stopped next to Optimus.
"So will you be heading back to your place?" Fowler asked Liliy. "Or were you going to join us at the base?"
"Well, that depends on if I am even allowed to go back to Omega One…" She looked pointedly at the big rig.
"Optimus, is Liliy banned from the base?"
"While I do disapprove of her methods," Optimus replied just loud enough for them to hear, "Liliy is still allowed to join us."
"Thank you, Optimus." Her phone beeped and she pulled it out. "But it seems I am needed at home. If you'll excuse me."
They watched her walk over to a matte black El Camino and get in. After she drove off, Agent Fowler climbed into Prime's cab.
"Since I had to tell General Bryce," Fowler said as Optimus left the base and turned onto the highway to Jasper, "I guess I'll tell you too. If you didn't notice, Agent Lin Lee is Liliy. One of her holographic aliases apparently."
"That explains a few things," mused Prime. "Except how she had two functioning arms."
"Darnit. I knew there was something I was forgetting to ask her."
Thanks for reading.