Chapter 3: Fight another day
It didn't take long for our little convoy to reach an alleyway out the back of Sam's place. /Nice area/, I thought to myself as I drove along behind Rachet. /Maybe Sam's parents are rich after all/. As we pulled up in the alleyway, I parked Relda as far off the street as possible. I had a feeling I might need to leave her here and carry on with the Autobots. I locked her up and jogged up to Sam and Mikaela to see what the plan was.
''You need to stay here and watch them, all of them you understand what I am saying,'' I just managed to catch Sam's plea to Mikaela and her hurried response before Sam bolted into the backyard in search of the glasses. I could tell keeping the Autobots out in the alleyway, especially Optimus Prime, whilst the glasses were not in safe possession was more than likely a futile attempt.
Letting out a soft sigh, I walked up to Mikaela. ''Big night hey?'' I smiled brightly at her as I leant casually against the fence.
She rolled her eyes and returned the smile, ''you could say that. I don't even know Sam that well, just from school.''
I chuckled, ''Well honey, something tells me by the end of tonight you're gonna know him a whole lot better.'' Mikaela just flashed another smile and started to pull her long silky locks up off her perfectly sculptured face. Stood beside her I must have looked a sight. She was a toned, tanned goddess. I was a middle aged, Rubenesque woman who shall we say, looked more ''life experienced.''
At that lull in our conversation I heard some gears and pistons move and some hissing sounds as one of the Autobots began to transform. Prime, it would seem, had other plans. "Optimus,'' I tried to whisper shout to him, ''Sam asked we stay here!''
''Time is of the essence,'' he retorted in that deep voice as though that alone gave him free rein to do as he pleased.
''Okay fine, you're the boss!'' I fired back and started to follow him. Mikaela and the others soon followed suit. /I hope Sam isn't the nervy kind/ I thought as we all crept into the backyard.
As I slipped into the perfectly manicured backyard, I noticed Sam was standing at the screen door on the back veranda, clearly trying to stall someone, /his dad perhaps?/. My heart leapt into my throat as I noticed the hulking shape of Optimus step over the fence and make his way into the yard. Bumblebee was already hiding around the corner of the house just out of earshot of Sam and his dad trying to signal Optimus to stay back. /Oh, this is going to go WELL/. Thankfully, Sam's dad disappeared back inside and not a moment too soon as the sound of something breaking under a heavy footfall made me cringe. Sam's panicked voice erupted as he took Optimus to task for having trashed his dad's fountain.
''My bad!'' Optimus replied, sounding genuinely sorry for the mishap. I couldn't help but smirk briefly at the absurdity of the situation before Mikaela and I ran up to Sam, taking great pains to stay on the footpath of course.
''I told you to watch em.' I told you!'' Sam stuttered at both Mikaela and I as we stood before him. His eyes seemed to be bulging from his head and there were several veins popping out on his neck.
/Nervy - check!/, I thought bemusedly to myself.
''Yeah, well they seem to be in a bit of a rush,'' Mikaela defended herself.
''I tried to tell Optimus, but he really does want those glasses, he is kind a persistent,'' I supported Mikaela.
Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get anymore absurd or tense, Sam's little pet Chihuahua came running up to Ironhide, of all robots, and peed on his foot. /My new hero/ I chuckled to myself. Sam almost went apoplectic as he tried to prevent Ironhide from eradicating his pet dog. This was turning into a scene from a Monty Python sketch. I had to stifle an inappropriate laugh.
Sam once again implored the Autobots, ''Just go hide!"
Optimus, who had seemed to exude patience, was now becoming frustrated and signalled for his team to fall back. ''Just hurry. Autobots recon.''
Sam ran inside and everyone scattered to find a hiding spot, except Optimus who gestured for Mikaela and I to get on his hand and help Sam look. I was going to decline stating I hardly knew the dude, but I was part of the team and well - desperate measures.
As we climbed off Optimus' hand into Sam's bedroom Mikaela reiterated, ''They really want those glasses.'' Sam suggested we make a clean sweep of the room, expect for a certain box that has his ''treasures'' in it. I chose not to comment on that. Not long afterwards we heard the unmistakable sound of transforming.
''What now?'' Sam whined. We looked out his bedroom window to see all the Autobots parked in his yard like a used car lot.
Looking out the window I noted with some sarcasm, ''Wow, if they were meant to be 'robots in disguise'' they aren't doing a very good job.''
When Optimus Prime's visage loomed in the window frame again, Sam sputtered in sheer exasperation, ''5 minutes, I need 5 minutes!'' He was on the verge of hysterics. Optimus must have realised he was pushing the kid too far and ordered the Autobots to ''fall back.'' As they did so one of them must have knocked into the powerlines as not five seconds later there was a loud crash, and the lights went out.
/Just great. Out of the frying pan and into the fire/. I could feel the first waves of annoyance and frustration roll over me as we seemed to be going nowhere fast.
The blackout didn't deter the Autobots, they shone what could only be described as a mini sun into Sam's room. I couldn't help but think, /where are the parents while all this is going on? Are they deaf?/. It was mere seconds after I thought this that we heard a knocking on the door and the unmistakable sound of a parent giving an ultimatum.
When Sam's dad started the ''count down'' I gestured to Prime to ''get me out of here.'' I jumped onto his open palm, but Mikaela stayed with Sam. Prime lowered me to the ground and I quickly scuttled out of his palm and hid on the back veranda with Bumblebee.
As I tried to hide in the shadows with Bumblebee, I distantly heard Sam's dad complain, about the yard being destroyed and having a ''blown transformer''. Once again, I had to put my hand to my mouth to stop from laughing out loud at the hilarity of the situation. I vaguely thought /I possibly could have used my gift to 'get' the glasses out of the house, but I didn't exactly want anyone knowing that about me just yet, not unless there wasn't a choice. People could be unreliable, skittish and judgemental. As for Transformers, I had no idea how they would react.
Out of the darkness I heard a clipped voice request with no small amount of hope, ''the parents are very annoying. Can I take them out?" Ironhide, it seemed, was indeed a bit trigger happy. /I bet Decepticons have nightmares about him/.
Optimus scolded him once again, ''Ironhide you know we don't harm humans. What is with you!?'' His tone seemed almost incredulous and I couldn't help but think /Must be tough leading sometimes/.
Prime must have sensed something was about to happen as he heard cars pull up out the front of Sam's house. He ordered everyone, including me, to fall back into the alleyway. I just hoped Sam and Mikaela had managed to find the glasses. While Ironhide seemed to have a temper, I had a feeling an angry Prime would shit all over anything Ironhide had to dish out.
We had not long made it to the safety of the alleyway than we heard screams and the sound of Sam and his family being taken out of the house. Charging into the back yard again I managed to glimpse some men in black suits /Shit, Government! /. I made to run out to them, to do what, I didn't know but I was in a better position to help than the Autobots.
Before I could take another step, a giant metal hand moved to block my path and shocked me into staying put. Prime had other plans, ''Orianna! Wait. Revealing your presence now would be unwise. Now is not the time to act. Come with us.'' For a brief moment I fought the urge to barrel after my newfound friends and ignore the Prime's request but instead I found myself nodding mutely. I turned and jogged back towards Relda. ''No,'' Prime called out, ''best ride with us.'' I took one last look at my pride and joy and ran over to Bumblebee, his car door opened for me to jump in.
''Thanks Bee,'' I patted his dashboard.
He made some beeps and whirring noises. /So, he didn't always use the radio to communicate/. I hope what he said was ''No worries,'' and I didn't just touch him inappropriately. I had so much to learn about these guys.
We immediately headed off in pursuit of Sam and Mikaela who had been taken in a different direction to Sam's parents. The Autobots must have had some sort of global positioning or tracking device as they seemed to know in advance where they would best intercept the kids. We got there first.
Bee, Ironhide, Jazz, Rachet and I stayed up on a bridge that ran perpendicular to the road the agents were travelling on while Prime himself stepped out in front of the car, his giant foot encouraging the car to ''slow down.''
As the car spun around Prime grabbed a hold of the roof and lifted the whole car off the ground. It hung there suspended for a moment, Prime's headlights blinding its occupants. After a moment, the car's roof was pulled clean off like the lid of a tin of sardines and the car dropped the few feet to the ground, exposing the agents who had taken Sam and Mikaela as well as the kids themselves.
As we approached, I could hear Sam in a rather smug tone introduce the agents to ''his friend Optimus Prime''. The agents had since come to their senses and were training their guns on the Prime. /Mosquito bites/ I thought in reference to what the bullets would have felt like to the Prime's ''skin'' if they were to shoot.
In an icy voice that held barely restrained anger, Prime addressed to the agents, ''Taking the children was a bad move. Autobots relieve them of their weapons.'' Upon Prime's commanded they all sprang into action. Ironhide had the chance to brandish his cannons and Jazz used some sort of magnet to swiftly collect all the guns. Prime then knelt down to face the leader of the agents, someone who seemed to go by the name, ''Simmons''.
Blinking his metallic ''eyelids'' he stared down upon the agent. ''You don't seem afraid. Are you not surprised to see us?'' Prime had noted their lack of shock at seeing giant alien robots. This did not bode well. /Well I guess they are Government agents, they'd see all kinds of shit all the time – wouldn't they?/ I reasoned with myself.
After a brief interchange, Optimus barked at Simons and the other agents to, ''Get out of the car – NOW!'' in a deep, angry tone. Whether it was frustration or a deep-seated concern over his new charges, the calm façade Optimus seemed to possess was being eaten away to expose a simmering temper. The teens were uncuffed and Mikaela, in a rather brilliant call, made agent Simmons strip off to his underwear and chained him to a light post while the others were made to sit on the curb and put their hands behind their heads. Something told me there had been an exchange between these two.
The sound of cars and helicopters approaching in the distance alerted the Autobots and us that trouble was not done with us for the evening.
''Optimus incoming!'' Ironhide shouted. He stepped forward and punched the ground, sending out some sort of energy blast that disabled their cars, buying us some time.
''ROLLOUT!'' Prime ordered and the others transformed and sped off. Prime turned to Sam, Mikaela and I and held out his palms. ''Up you get.'' Sam and Mikaela got into one of his palms and I got into the other. He lifted us up onto his broad shoulders and we scrambled off and grabbed hold of whatever we could get purchase of. Satisfied we were safely aboard Prime took off at a run, as helicopters hovered overhead.
Prime managed to both dodge cars and buses on the roads as he tried to flee as well as evade the helicopters, no mean feat. He somehow made his way to a large storm drain with an overhead bridge. Reaching up he grabbed hold of the supports under the bridge and hauled himself up, so he was stretched out between two sections under the bridge, effectively using the bridge as a hiding place. /Brilliant, if we can just hold on/.
Moments later one of the helicopters flew past, they were persistent. In the distance I heard a car engine revving as no doubt Bumblebee sped towards us, intent on protecting Sam. Optimus turned his head towards Sam and Mikaela, ''easy you two'' he tried to caution as they seemed to be panicking and moving around. I sat stock still on Prime's other shoulder, desperately grasping onto his smokestack.
As the helicopters came back for another pass under the bridge, the unthinkable happened. Mikaela slipped and fell towards the ground, Sam only just managed to grab her hand. I let out a small scream and out of instinct I raised my hand and started to use my ''gift,'' trying to keep Mikaela and Sam from falling to the ground, and certain death, far below.
''I'm slipping, I'm slipping!'' Mikaela screamed in absolute terror. Hanging precariously from one of Prime's shoulder struts, I gave a small groan as I struggled to hold them in place. The sound of the car drew closer, its engine faintly heard over my own heart pounding in my chest.
/Come on Bumblebee!/ I silently urged the yellow scout on. The helicopters had passed underneath. I was straining to ''hold'' them both. I have never had to use my gift for this length of time or in such a way. I started to grunt, and I was sure Optimus was aware something was going.
What came next happened in slow motion.
Unable to hold them any longer, my powers failed, and Mikaela and Sam slipped out of my reach and started to fall towards the ground below. The sheer terror etched clearly on their faces as they fell. In the same moment Prime yelled, ''Hold on!" and began to swing his large metal body down towards the ground, desperately trying to break their fall.
I screamed out, ''NO!'' and began to turn away just as the sound of transforming shattered the night air and a blur of yellow and black plucked the two teenagers out of the air seconds before a fatal impact. The sound of Bumblebee's body scrapping and scratching along the ground to a halt both pained and relieved me.
Still grabbing Prime's smokestack for dear life and trembling with silent sobs of relief and fear, I watched in horror and guilt as Bumblebee, who tried valiantly to protect Sam and Mikaela, was captured. Metal ropes were shot to wrap around his arms and legs and pull him to the ground. The agents were using some sort of cooling agent to freeze him into submission, /liquid nitrogen?/. Sam tried to fight back and save his friend, brave of him but it was no use, he was soon subdued and, for the second time that night, handcuffed and led away.
As the helicopters and cars milled about, I called out to Prime, ''Can't you do something? They're taking them away to God knows where, to do God knows what!'' I was shaking with anger now that the fear had subsided.
''Negative.'' Prime simply replied. Though he remained impassive, the tone of his voice indicated he was also holding back anger.
''Well, I won't stand by and watch this happen. Put me down now!'' I yelled in the most authoritative voice I could muster.
''Orianna, there is nothing you can do,'' the Prime tried to reason.
''No. THIS is doing nothing. I will not sit back and watch my friends get taken away, Now, lower me to the ground or so help me I'll jump.'' The tone of my voice indicated I had every intention of following through with my threat.
While he could not turn to face me directly, I could sense the Prime staring daggers and fighting a losing war within himself. Without a sound he held out a palm to me to climb on and, while holding onto the bridge with one arm in an amazing display of strength and control, he carefully lowered his arm down to his legs and allowed me to clamber down his huge feet. At this point I was not very far from the ground and I was able to jump, using what little of my gift remained to lessen the impact. I didn't even glance back at Prime as I began to bolt towards the melee before me.
The agents had all been preoccupied with their quarry so they did not notice Prime lower me to the ground, nor were they aware of the interloper until I managed to punch one of the men who was spraying Bumblebee in the face. I sent him flying. I was then able to kick another and swung around to punch another. I felt possessed, anger coursed through my body, fuelling my actions. I managed to take down about two others before I was overcome. I was vaguely aware of Sam and Mikaela screaming my name before I was hit in the head with the butt of a gun and sent to my knees.
While I didn't black out, my world went fuzzy and my ears began to ring. A warm trickle of blood made its way down the side of my face. /Bloody great you bloody idiot!/ There was no time to soothe my wound as my arms were roughly grabbed and shoved behind my back.
As I was pushed towards the black SUV that contained Sam and Mikaela, I thought two things; /one; maybe Prime was right, I should have stayed put and two; maybe I should have just climbed into the back of Relda and gone to sleep earlier tonight rather than follow the siren call that led me to my current predicament/. However, as I watched them try to load a now comatose Bee for transport, and I heard a scared Mikaela cry out my name and saw the look of relief on Sam's face as I was shoved into the car beside them, I changed my mind. No, I was exactly where I was meant to be.
As the car's engine started up and we drove off towards God knows where, I asked Sam, with a wry smile and a whispered voice, ''So, did you get the glasses?'' He looked at me with a small smile.
''Of course'', he said, ''I have them right here,'' he went to pat his pocket of his jumper. The sudden look of terror on his face alerted me to the fact that things may have just gone to hell in a hand basket. I groaned, and not just in frustration. My head hurt, my heart hurt.
''Well,'' I sighed, ''I hope Optimus has a plan B. In fact, he might need use of all other 24 letters of the alphabet before we're through. Don't worry Sam, it'll work out,'' I tried to reassure them, /or was it me?/. At this last comment, I closed my eyes and thought of Prime. /Sorry Optimus. I tried. It's up to you now. Don't worry, I'll keep them safe/.