In which Alison gets an alarm, leads a meeting, and practices her powers.
Christmas Day put paid to what I had thought the night before of it being the best holiday. Presents were exchanged, and I loved all of my gifts. Though I think my most favorite was Bee's; he got me and Mikaela silver bracelets that had our names etched in them in english and cybertronian, and set with a rectangular gem as wide as the band and two fingers long. My gem was blue and Mikaela's was red, and we both loved them a lot. He earned a kiss on the cheek from both of us, then we laughed when he turned bright red. We both started wearing them just about every day.
After the holiday, life returned to normal at the base. Training, work and hanging out as usual, with special emphasis on what needed to be discussed at the meeting with Galloway and Moreshower, as well as short daily check ups with Ratchet to make a baseline of my vitals to compare with the tests.
The one disruption to routine was on New Year's Eve, when all the Autobots gathered in their yard and introduced a Cybertronian tradition; anyone who had a grievance or grudge between each other could call for a spar, after which the grievance would be forgiven or forgotten in the new year.
Most of the 'Bots just had "small grievances', like Elita calling Optimus out on being a cover hog, or both sets of twins settling scores for their spats over the year. However, one that surprised us was when Prowl left the base, then a couple hours later called Ratchet to his location. Ratchet was practically cursing as he drove out the gate, and returned a short while later with an obviously recently repaired Prowl. Some not-so-subtle questioning revealed that Barricade had apparently challenged Prowl to a spar, which turned into a brawl. Despite the fact they both had gotten hurt enough to need Ratchet, I couldn't help but smile at that, cause it meant they were one step closer to reconciliation.
After the amusement of ringing in the new year, I couldn't help but feel myself antsing up about the meeting, as well as my exhibition. I knew we had things planned and were prepared for most of the arguments that we were certain would occur. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something unexpected was going to pop up.
That feeling turned out accurate, as I was woken suddenly by someone shaking me on the morning of January 2nd. My arm swung out as I rolled over, reflex from having to shove my old dogs and cats off me, but I didn't make contact with anything except a tingling sensation in my hand. I shot my eyes open to see Elita's holo had woken me, going intangible when I swung, and her face was set in a worried grimace.
"What's going on?" I asked, sitting up while also trying to keep Mikaela from waking as well. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed it was just after three in the morning.
"We just picked up a Decepticon signal coming into orbit. Optimus wanted you, Will, Simmons and Lindsey in HQ stat."
She barely finished her sentence before I pushed out of the bed. My PT clothes were right on my dresser, so I started pulling those on as Elita dissipated. I grabbed my phone and pressed a quick kiss to Mikaela's hairline, before running out of my room. The men were waiting outside in Elita's alt, so I jumped in and we sped over to HQ.
Inside, Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide and Jolt were watching the monitor, which displayed several radar maps, one of Earth as a sphere showing the atmosphere, another of the western hemisphere, with particular focus on an area in the northern Midwest states. "What's the sit rep?" Will asked as we got out of Elita and climbed up to the catwalk.
"Thirty minutes ago, our monitor crew picked up something entering the atmosphere," Prowl reported. "As it was much larger than the average meteorite, Jolt focused on it, and managed to pick up a very short Decepticon signal."
"It wasn't enough to get a lock on them," Jolt admitted. "They managed to block the signal before I could pick up whether or not it was a ship or a bunch of 'Cons in formation."
"And the direction it was heading was towards the Midwest," Lindsey stated.
"Will we mobilize to find them?" Will asked.
"Coppertone is retrieving Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Chromia," Optimus said. "We're thinking on sending them and Ironhide out with teams of COTA members to investigate."
"How many per team, and how many do you want S7?" Simmons asked. Made sense to me, S7 agents would be able to spot the signs of the 'Cons better than straight COTA recruits.
"Teams of three, with at least one former agent per team," Ironhide said. "We're leaving as soon as the planes are ready, so get them moving."
Suddenly, my phone rang, making us all jump. I pulled it out and saw it was Cade's number. "It's Barricade," I said, answering and putting it on speaker phone. "Cade, what's going on?"
::'Cons on Earth, that's what's going on,:: he said.
"You picked up the signal too?"
::It was a message from Starscream, announcing his arrival.::
"Did he say Starscream?" Chromia asked as she came in with the other frontliners.
"The signal's source was too big to be Starscream alone," Jolt said. "Do you think he's got a ship?"
::He does,:: Barricade said. ::I'm guessing it's the one we came to the system in, unless he managed to get a new one from Megatron.::
"Do you know if he's alone, or has allies?" Prowl asked.
::From what I picked up, he's got at least a couple 'Cons under his command. Whether they're following orders or Starscream took them rogue, I'm not sure.::
"Are you able to contact them?" Lindsey asked.
::Yeah, but I'm not going to.::
"Why not?" Simmons asked.
::Because his message was calling for any Decepticons on Earth to give up any information on Alison's whereabouts.::
"The only 'Cons left are you and Scorponok," Prowl said. "And Scorponok would have no information."
"Perhaps Starscream doesn't know of the deaths of the other Decepticons on his team," Lindsey suggested.
"He should know," I said. "Megatron would have told him of Blackout's fate, and Frenzy's host would have reported his death."
::Meaning when I don't report in, he's going to be after me, especially since I am the only one to actually know where Alison is.:: There was a slight grumble in his voice on his next sentence. ::I am requesting permission to leave Tranquility for the foreseeable future.::
That was a shock to just about all of us, and Will asked, "Why?"
::Because I don't want to be hanging around Alison if he does find me. Trust me, it will be much better if I'm as far away and on the move as I can.::
"And I thought you were supposed to be her Protector," Sideswipe commented.
::This is protecting her, you dataglitch. He can't find me, he can't interrogate me, he can't find Alison. At least, as long as you're doing your job right and scrambling her online presence.::
"We are," Prowl said. "Will you be keeping in contact?"
::Probably not, unless you know of some frequency that the 'Cons can't pick up.::
"Standard frequencies, no, but there is another option."
Barricade was quiet for a few moments, then ::Alright. Like the Spitfire op?::
"Yes."
::Alright then.::
"Be careful, Barricade," I said. "Miles and I will be very upset if you get yourself slagged."
::Like he'd really care.:: That part was muffled, quiet, and we probably weren't meant to hear it. ::Don't expose yourself and make this for nothing, AliSpark. Catch you on the other side.:: He ended the call, and I put my phone away.
"The humans are going to love this," Sunstreaker said.
"The command staff can worry about that," Ironhide said. "Let's get those troops moving. I want to find where those twice fragged 'Cons are hiding before they can cause any damage."
Will and Simmons nodded and ran to collect the soldiers needed while Ironhide and Prowl took the frontliners off to the side and they started discussing in Cybertronian, making plans for who would cover what areas. Lindsey went to the comm center to look things over with his team. The tension I'd been feeling since I awoke lessened, but was still palpable in the air. I let out a heavy sigh.
"You alright, Alison?" Elita asked, coming closer to the catwalk. She and Optimus both looked concerned, but I waved them off.
"I'll be fine. It's just sinking in that the holiday's over, now the work begins. And this wasn't exactly how I wanted to start out the day."
"We understand what you're feeling," Optimus said. "The important thing now is to simply be prepared to act once we have word, and to not let our worry keep us down."
I nodded, then glanced up the time. It was only an hour and a half before I would usually be up anyway, and I doubted I would be able to go back to sleep. "I'm going to run through my PT. Let me know when the troops are ready, I want to say something." I turned and left HQ, diving straight into my run.
It was maybe an hour later that the away teams and the plane transporting them were ready. Will and I both spoke a few words, telling them to watch each other's backs and remember their training before wishing them good luck. We watched them take off and I couldn't help but worry about them. I prayed that everyone would return home safely as I left to get ready.
I explained everything to Mikaela as she helped me get ready for the morning's meeting. Like me, she shared concern for the fact that the 'Cons were back and that Barricade was out on his own.
"Miles is not going to like this," she said, sliding in the last pin to hold my bun in place. I wore my dress uniform and tags again, with another braided crown bun and light natural makeup. In contrast, she was wearing an old pair of jeans, a t-shirt, work boots, and just had her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She would be helping Wheeljack put the finishing touches on my body armor while I was in the meeting. I had joked the armor should be called the Mark I, like Iron Man, then Wheeljack did me one better and called it the Spark I.
"I'm hoping Cade said goodbye to him before he took off. And that nothing will happen to anyone." I sighed. "I don't want to be singing any condolence letters."
"They've been training for this, and you know the 'Bots will keep them safe too." She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into her. Just being near her was recentering me, and after a couple minutes, I was once again focused on what needed to be done that day.
"You're too good for me, Mikaela," I said, tilting my head back to look up at her. "You put up with all my crap and I don't show you my appreciation enough."
"Well, getting half the tools and parts on the medbay 'We Want' list could be a start." Her eyes sparkled as she laughed and I just had to pull her down for a kiss.
The meeting was set to start at eight o'clock, so I made sure I was in HQ by seven-fifteen to make sure everything was ready, while everyone else started arriving around seven-thirty. Ella, Simmons, Will and Lindsey would represent the human side of COTA, and were all dressed in much the same way as the opening ceremony (dress suit, dark suit and dress uniforms respectively). Optimus, Elita, Prowl, Jazz and Ratchet represented the Autobots, and wore their uniforms, Prowl and Elita both wearing the blue of command. This was my first time seeing Prowl's holo; he was a little taller than me, close cut platinum blond hair, square faced, strong nose and of course bright pale blue eyes. His armband was black, showing him as the other head of Spec Ops, and he had a white stripe on the bottom for field medic training. Elita's band was infantry green with a white stripe.
Once I was certain everything was set right, I waited with Optimus for Moreshower and Galloway outside. The plane landed at fifteen 'til the hour, and they disembarked as quickly as possible, along with a couple aides - Cummings and Vincents, from the negotiations, I soon recognized.
"Good to see you again, General, Liaison," I said, shaking their hands with Optimus.
"Good to be here, Miss Witwicky, Prime," Moreshower said.
"We understand there has been a new development in the Decepticon situation," Galloway said with no preamble.
"There has, and it is one of the first things on our agenda today," Optimus said, leading the way into the meeting room. Ella had labored over the seating, wanting to give the best impression for the guests to be welcomed, while still showing COTA as a solid unit. It ended up being arranged that I sat at the end of the table, with Optimus on one side of me and Will on the other. It then went Prowl, Elita, Jazz and Ratchet on the 'Bots side of the table , with an open chair between Jazz and Ratchet for Ironhide. After Will came Lindsey, Simmons and Ella, with Moreshower and Galloway at the end of the table opposite me, while Vincents and Cummings sat between them and Ella. Ella and Cummings both had notebooks for minute taking. Prowl would be doing similar for the 'Bots, but his method was to record the meeting and compile his report as the meeting went on. Afterwards, the three would compare their notes, and agree on the official minutes.
When the clock hit eight, everyone was seated except for myself. I stood in front of my chair, and picked up a small metal ball off its wooden soundblock. "Today marks the first official meeting between the leadership of the Cyber-Organic Treaty Association and the government liaisons of the United States of America. I am Alison Witwicky, Bearer of the AllSpark and Director of COTA. I welcome everyone and call this meeting to order." I tapped the gavel ball on the plaque and took a seat.
"Firstly, I would like to ensure we all have been properly introduced to each other. My subordinates in COTA leadership sit to my left. Major William Lennox, commander of COTA's military forces. Chief Jonathan Lindsey, in charge of our communications and technology divisions. Seymour Simmons, former Sector Seven agent and our foremost human expert on Cybertronians. And Ella Halton, our public relations and financial director."
As Galloway and Moreshower nodded to my people, Optimus took his cue to speak. "I am Optimus Prime, Supreme Leader of the Autobots, and Prime of Cybertron. With me to my right are the members of the Autobot High Command. Prowl, second in command, tactician and joint head of Special Operations. Elita One, my Consort and commander of Squad One, as well as the Beta Femme Guard. Jazz, other joint head of Special Operations. And Ratchet, our chief medical officer."
Moreshower nodded respectfully to all the 'Bots while Galloway only barely acknowledged them individually. "Can I ask who is supposed to be in that empty chair?" the liaison asked.
"My weapons specialist Ironhide. My chief science officer Wheeljack would have replaced him, but he is currently involved in a project."
"I see," Moreshower said. "Does his absence have anything to the signals picked up this morning?"
"It does," Lindsey said. "This morning our team picked up a Decepticon signal coming into orbit. We managed to track it to somewhere over the Midwest before we lost it."
"At the same time, we received a call from Barricade, a former Decepticon who has become a neutral party, which confirmed it was a Decepticon ship. He also informed us that it was carrying a team led by Starscream," Prowl said.
"Barricade? He was listed as one of the Decepticons involved in the Mission City battle," Galloway said. "Can you trust his word?"
"Just after the battle, Barricade received a communication from Megatron, appointing him to the position of my Protector, a important socio-religious position in cybertronian society. This position was later ratified by the AllSpark," I explained. "He has been under Autobot surveillance since then, as well as having signed a truce treaty with Optimus. If he breaks the terms of that treaty, he faces not just Autobot justice, but very likely instant retribution from the AllSpark Herself. As well, there is no love lost between himself and Starscream, so even without his vows, he would not pass information to or lie for him."
"Where is Barricade now?" Moreshower asked.
"He has gone into hiding," Optimus said. "Due to our security measures, he is the only one who knows Alison's location, and thus when he doesn't report in, Starscream is likely to hunt for him."
"And you're certain this is not a cover to meet with the Decepticons?" Galloway asked. "Or that he will be discovered?"
"Barricade will be using the same procedure as an operation we worked together on before the War," Prowl said. "It involves suppressing his EM field to be almost completely unregistrable, and he will contact me on a secure encrypted channel with bimonthly updates. The nature of this channel means I will know if he is lying to me, no matter how he tries to hide it." A sibling bond, I realized as he described it. "He will not betray us."
Galloway was obviously not happy with that answer, but Moreshower seemed to accept it. "So Barricade confirmed the Decepticons' arrival and went into hiding," he reiterated. "I assume Ironhide was sent to investigate the threat?"
"He and our other frontliners, Chromia, Coppertone, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker," Elita said. "They are each accompanied by a team of three COTA members, with at least one former Sector Seven agent per team."
"They will be in constant contact with each other, and report back to us at the end of each day," Lindsey added.
Moreshower nodded, and I thought there was the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Nice to see you're on top of this."
From there, we moved onto a general overview of how COTA's been running for the past few months, as well as some of our plans for the future. Soon enough though, we came to the question that I had been dreading since the meeting started.
"The President is very interested in the technologies you could share with us," Galloway started out innocently enough, directing his attention to the Autobots. "In particular, anything you can share to help us defend ourselves from the Decepticons, in case COTA is unable to respond."
"We discussed this topic amongst ourselves," Optimus said, taking the lead as had been planned. "We will be perfectly willing to tell you what weapons you currently have that will be effective against the Decepticons. But we will not share our own weapons technology with you."
"You won't?" Galloway narrowed his eyes at Optimus. "Why?"
"Your world is in a delicate state politically, even before our arrival, and there are many conflicts ongoing as we speak. Introducing an alien technology to any one side of these conflicts could tip the balance catastrophically."
"How so?" Moreshower asked
Prowl took over the discussion. "Should we share our technology with the States, even with the faith that it would only be used against the Decepticons, other nations will find out. Such an advantage could very well turn even your current allies against you as they try to develop weapons to match you. An arms race of that kind could easily escalate into warfare."
"And perhaps some countries might even turn to the Decepticons for help," Elita added. "We cannot believe that Megatron or Starscream would not take advantage of the situation, providing said weaponry with the intent of them being used again us Autobots and any of our allies. Once they have a foothold, the Decepticons could easily turn on their allies and the world as you know it would end in little more than a few years, if not sooner."
"Apart from that, there is a chance their weaponry will be useless to us even if we were able to obtain it," Simmons said. "Sector Seven tried many times to take parts of Megatron's weapons, and in seventy years we were never able to get it to work without energy from the Cube, which was difficult to manage even in small amounts. With the AllSpark now bound to Miss Witwicky, its energy is inaccessible unless she grants it, making it an entirely unfeasible strategy."
"In all but the best case scenarios, sharing the weapons tech leads to Earth's destruction, and our current world state is far from that," Will finished. "We have have several discussions about the ramifications since COTA's inception, and Lindsey, Simmons and I fully support the Autobots and Miss Witwicky in this decision."
Their responses seemed to appease Moreshower, given his solemn nod and the way he sat back in his chair. Galloway on the other hand didn't seem so pleased, but he didn't contest it as he said, "Perhaps we can revisit the topic at a later date."
"Of course," Optimus said, and the conversation drifted from the hot topic to safer waters.
The meeting finally ended at lunchtime, and Galloway and Moreshower were invited to stay and eat, as well as watch my testing afterwards. They accepted both invitations, and during the meal I tried to watch them to pick up their moods. Moreshower seemed satisfied with the meeting, and spent most of lunch talking with Optimus, Elita and Lindsey. Galloway was trying to give off an unperturbed air, but I could tell he was not happy. This just further strengthened my resolve to keep an eye on him and not let him get run of COTA.
A slight surprise was catching Miles in HQ on the way to lunch, with his hair cut short around his ears. He told me that after Barricade left, he called for a ride and Bee had come to get him, and that Monique Epps had helped him cut his hair. He tried to cover it with a positive outlook, but I could tell, he was very concerned about Cade. I gave him my best reassurances, but I wasn't sure if they really worked.
After lunch, Ratchet and I went to the lab to meet with Wheeljack and Mikaela. My new suit was hanging off a hanging mannequin, and I had to say it looked pretty good, a white catsuit with what looked like ceramic plates on the tops of the arms and front of the legs. I could also see some wires running through the fabric, ending at what looked like a battery pack at the small of the back.
"The wires connect to electrodes on the inside of the suit," Mikaela explained as we ducked into a changing booth just off to one side of the lab. "They will allow Ratchet to monitor your vitals so you don't push yourself too far during the tests."
I nodded, remembering Ratchet mentioning them a few days before. "I'm sure the AllSpark will also let me know if I'm going too far." I took off my belt and jacket, handing them to her.
"You know Ratchet, always worrying." Mikaela smiled, placing the clothes on the back of a chair. "So everything go well?"
"I think so." I stripped as I talked, leaving me in just a sports bra and panties. "Had the expected grumbling about withholding the weapons tech, but Moreshower came to understand where we came from. Galloway-" I scrunched up my face as I thought of him. "We'll have to wait and see."
"You think he's going to be as bad as before?" Mikaela took the clothes and passed me the suit.
"Maybe not as bad, since he doesn't have any official oversight of COTA, but I wouldn't put it past him to try and get that at some point." I started sliding on the suit. "The most we can do is keep an eye on him, and if he tries anything, minimize the damage."
Mikaela nodded, then shook her head. "It's so weird, hearing you talk about minimizing damage to the alliance of aliens and military you're in charge of, and then remembering we have to go back to high school next week. It's still surreal."
I paused as I was about to zip up the suit. "You don't regret this, do you?" I asked, reaching a hand over to her.
Mikaela took my hand and stepped up to me. "No, I don't. You need to stop asking that, one would think you're the one regretting things."
"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly and ducked my head slightly. "I just worry, I mean, you and Miles wouldn't be in this if not for me."
"And if I wasn't in this, Bee wouldn't be here, and neither would Will, Epps or half their team. And who knows, I might have gotten involved anyway, we don't know." She placed a hand on my cheek. "The past is past, and we have to live with our choices. And so far, you've made some pretty good ones. You fell in love with me for one."
My smile grew more confident at her words, and turned to grin at her joke. "Well, the heart is fickle, I could always go and give my love away to Bumblebee." I started to step back, but she pulled me back to her with a short laugh.
"Oh no, you are not pulling a 'Last Christmas' on me, Alison Witwicky." She gave my lips a quick peck. "I'm not gonna let you get away that easily."
I kissed her back, still grinning. "Me either."
"You ready yet, girls?" we heard Wheeljack call out.
"Just about!" Mikaela called back, stepping away from me and helping me zip up. I pulled on a pair of combat boots and we walked back to the main area of the lab, which had been cleared for the testing. On a scaffold off to the side, a little audience area was set up for the humans, though it was a small group as I asked (and Ratchet insisted) that this not be open invitation. Will, Simmons, Moreshower and Galloway and the aides were there, as well as Miles and Asami, here to see if there would be anything she needed to add to my training because of my powers. Next to the scaffold, Bumblebee stood with Optimus and Prowl, the former to give moral support, the other two to observe. Surprising however, was Skids and Mudflap standing next to Ratchet and Wheeljack. Well, Mudflap was standing, supporting his twin as Skids's leg was dented about the knee, with a small energon trail trickling down his leg. The two seemed to have just been shushed by Ratchet, if the irritated look he was shooting at them before turning to me was any indication.
"How does the suit fit, Alison?" he asked as I walked up to them while Mikaela went to the scaffolding.
"It fits really well, like a second skin," I said, rotating my arm to show what I meant. Instead of being a hundred percent leather like the catsuits in the movies, Spark I had a stretchy material around the shoulders and elbows, allowing me to move my arms naturally without having to unzip the front ("An absurd design flaw," Ratchet had apparently told Mikaela when he looked up some films to get an idea of style). There was also the same stretchy material on the hips and knees, meaning I could kneel and bend over too.
"Good, good," Wheeljack said. "Alright, the first thing I want you to do is call upon the AllSpark, if you could. We'll be monitoring your vitals and your EM field to see if calling on Her causes any unusual spikes."
"We also have Arcee a mile out with a scanner, then Elita at five miles and Jolt at ten," Ratchet said. "They're going to see what range the AllSpark's power can be detected at, so we know how close a 'Con will need to be to find you."
I nodded. "Okay. Here I go." I closed my eyes and opened my mind to the AllSpark. ~Hey there.~
~Hello, Alison.~ The AllSpark said in my head, then stepped forward for a second. "~Hello, everyone,~" She said, before stepping back. I was still tapped in, but She was letting me have more or less full control, which was nice.
"Okay, what next?" I asked.
"We'd like a demonstration of your healing abilities." Ratchet motioned for me to come over to Skids and Mudflap. "These two decided it would be a good idea to scuffle and the leg is a result. Since knee joints are finicky and can take several hours to fix properly, this will be a good evaluation of your skill."
I nodded and walked up to the twins. "Can you two go a full day without some sort of scrap?" I asked teasingly.
"Well if Skids wasn't a punk ass bitch," Mudflap said,
"You're one to talk, you big dataglitch," Skids said, and looked about to shove his brother away, but an "ahem!" from Ratchet stopped him.
"Well, let's get this taken care of." I reached out to place my hands on either side of the energon trail, then stopped when the AllSpark said, ~Wait.~
~What?~ I asked her.
~Place your hands in the energon.~
I was a little confused, but did as she said, and let out a short yelp as it felt like the nerves in my hands caught fire for a second, before settling into a warmth. My heart started pounding, and my breathing got a little more labored, but after a moment that settled out and I started feeling energized and powerful. Looking at my hands, I was seeing the energon was being absorbed through my skin, like a sponge.
"Are you alright, Alison?" Ratchet asked.
"I'm fine," I said. "Absorbing from a cybertronian directly is just different from absorbing from a cube, that's all." As the warmth faded to a tingle, I pulled my hands away and looked them over. They looked perfectly normal, not even coated in energon, when if a normal human had done that, they'd have severe chemical burns at the very least (Mikaela had a patch on her arm that showed human skin and energon didn't mix).
"What the hell was that!?" I heard Galloway shout from the scaffold.
"I think the AllSpark got a bit of a recharge," Wheeljack said. "The readings spiked when you were in contact with the energon, and Arcee and Elita both report they were able to pick it up when it happened. You've settled out now, but it's higher than it was before."
"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit like an Energizer bunny right now," I said, rocking on the balls of my feet and clenching and unclenching my hands. "I'm pretty sure I can heal that leg now."
"Go ahead," Ratchet said, motioning for me to do so.
I stepped up to Skids again, and this time the AllSpark let me do my thing. "Heal," I said, and two pulses later, the knee was straightened out, along with a few of the other dents across his frame.
"Hey, it's not achin' anymore!" Skids said, leaning and balancing on the leg, only remaining upright cause of his brother's grip on his wrist.
"Careful, ya lugnut!" Mudflap scolded, yanking Skids back to two feet. "Don't get busted up again, Ratchet ain't got time for that."
"No, I don't. Now get out, you two," Ratchet shooed them and the twins left.
"How you doing, Alison?" Wheeljack asked me.
"I'm good," I said. The edge of the buzz wore off, but I still felt powerful. "What next?" I asked.
"Go ahead into the boxcar there," Wheeljack motioned to one that was sitting in an open space of the lab. "We set up a couple simple beepers in there. If the electro-magnetic pulse works, they'll shut off. The box is shielded, so you don't have to worry about hurting any of us or the equipment."
I nodded. "Just don't lock me in, 'kay?" I stepped inside and saw, indeed, five beepers, four along the sides and one at the end. "How do you want me to do this?"
"Try to take out the one on the end, and only that one," Wheeljack said. "After that, wait 'til we tap the top, then try to take out only the ones to your right. Another tap, take out the ones on the left."
"Can't have you using that ability if you can't direct who or what you take out," Ratchet clarified, though I already figured that was the point. I heard the door shut behind me, and closed my eyes, thinking on how I wanted to shut down the beeper. I decided I didn't want to just think this into reality, so I started imagining the EMP was gathering in my right hand as I closed it in a loose fist. After a minute, I flung my arm at the beeper, spreading all my fingers except my pinkie. The beeper started sparking and let out a loud screech for a minute before shutting down completely.
I smiled and closed my fist again, waiting for the signal to continue. When the tap (more like a bang) came, I turned and threw my arm out. The second and third beepers died the same as the first, a bit faster than before. My smile grew as I waited for the second tap, and primed the pulse, whirling at the last beepers like it was a quick draw contest. The fourth and fifth beepers died in thirty seconds, the sparks they threw off being larger than any before. Once their dying screams ended, I walked over to the door and waited for it to open.
"It's too bad I can't see the energy of the pulse," I commented as I stepped out. "That would be very useful to make sure none of you got in the way when I use it."
"You'll be responsible about it," Ratchet said, motioning me towards a spot they marked with an "X". About a hundred feet from it was a series of targets on a large foam block. "Try using your energon blasts now."
And that was why the AllSpark wanted me to get a top off. I was able to fire off five blasts instead of my usual three. I decided my hand motion for the blasts would be to close my hand with my fingers touching the tip of my thumb, letting the energon ball generate in between them, then flicking them open to release it. I felt like I saw a plasma gun in some video game or other use the same firing method, but I couldn't recall what at the moment.
My first shot missed the center of the target by a good five inches, but each successive shot was closer and closer until the last two were bullseyes. I smiled, feeling pretty proud of myself.
Wheeljack knelt to examine the targets, which were melting slightly from the blasts. "It looks like it won't do much damage unless you hit protoform, like a face or a joint, but as a distraction or drawing someone's attention, it will definitely work."
After that, there were a couple more tests. I repaired a radio that had been damaged, demonstrated my speed reading, and did a couple reflex and strength tests to show my above normal abilities in that regard. That lasted a couple hours, and it was around three in the afternoon when our guests left. After I changed back into my uniform, those of us who watched the testing saw them off.
"Thank you again for coming out here today, gentlemen," I told Moreshower and Galloway before they boarded the plane.
"Thank you for having us," Moreshower said, shaking my hand. "I feel that we've made a good start today, and I am looking forward to our next meeting."
"I am as well," Galloway said, turning to me and away from Optimus just too quickly to be polite. "I'm sure the President will appreciate how cooperative everyone is being."
"We do not wish to create any unnecessary conflicts," Optimus said. "Earth is our refuge now, we will do what it takes to keep it so."
"Right," Galloway said. "We will meet again next month, on the fourth?"
I nodded. "Until then, safe travels and good health to you both."
The men reciprocated the sentiment, then climbed into the plane. Optimus and I waved as it took off and kept our eyes on it as it flew from sight. Mikaela had been hanging back during the goodbyes, but now she walked up and wrapped her arms around my waist, her head sitting on my shoulder. "Today was productive, wasn't it?"
I nodded and placed my hands over hers, letting myself truly relax for the first time that day. "Hopefully we get good outcomes from everything."
Mikaela nuzzled my head. "We got the rest of the day off, why don't we head back to your room and relax until dinner?"
I smiled. "I like the sound of that."
"Good." She pulled her arms away from my waist, only to tuck one under my legs and sweep me off my feet. I knew I was skinny and light, but I didn't realize she was that strong either. She, Optimus and those who hadn't wandered off yet laughed at my dumbfounded face. "Let's get going," she said, and started walking off to the barracks.
AN: And the plot kicks back in! Yeah, I bet some of ya'll were wondering when 'Cons were gonna show up again. Here's your answer. What'd you think of Barricade leaving? What about the meeting with Galloway and Moreshower? Alison's powers in action? Let me know in the comments!
Guest Review Replies
Gerard DuGalle (CH 21): Given all the changes, it would be strange if Galloway appeared later. He will only intervene more earnestly in events. Are bets accepted when he will be convince or replace?
Feel free to make all the bets you want! For which is the one that will happen, I'll leave you in suspense.
Guest 1 (CH 21): By do this I mean like the exact same thing. BTW, the dark spark is the exact opposite of the Allspark, but I feel like it has a similar personality, Luke they are twins.
Well, like I said, Dark Spark is honestly a TFP/Aligned thing, not Bayverse/Tyran one, so it won't be making any appearances... Or at least not in the way you're probably thinking, and it shall be several years before you would see, as you have just given me an idea to implement in the third story of AllSpark's series.
Guest 2 (CH 21): Please give Alispark emerging blades
That honestly sounds a little painful. Alison, while technorganic, is not a cyborg. Not to say she'll be completely weaponless, or that she'll never get a sword. It just might not be for a while.
Guest 3 (CH 21): Thanks for the comment on how I sound. Sorry for raging at him. It's just that he did not factor in universal placement
I can understand that, but again, some people just have limits to disbelief, and sometimes it's just a remark without much more behind it.
I'll see you all next week, same 'Bot Time, same 'Bot Channel!
