Chapter 6: A Quiet Life Shattered

Ever since he had started working with the TRF, Lennox had began to hate officer meetings.

It was the way his colleagues stared and interacted with him in disdain, often making snide remarks whenever he defended harmless Cybertronian refugees, ensuring that they would only use lethal force against hostile threats. On more than one occasion, he had to keep his temper and prevent himself, with great effort, from punching everyone seated around the table. Especially Santos.

Fortunately, there was still some hope in a group full of xenophobic assholes. And as the officers stood in attention and saluted the man at the head of the table, Lennox let some of his pent up tension dissipate.

"At ease," said General Morshower. The sound of steel chairs scraping across the floor echoed in the brightly lit conference room as the men seated themselves. "Report."

Without further ado, Lennox recounted their latest mission. He left most of the events intact, though he refrained from revealing what he had seen in the genealogy book; it was best to inform the General about it in private, given the nature of that information.

When Lennox finished, the room was plunged into silence. General Morshower crossed his arms, then said, "Any news of Decepticon Barricade?"

Santos shrugged, speaking for the first time. "Our tracker picked him up in Georgia. He's been laying low ever since our last encounter."

"And the Stunticons?"

"As far as we know, they are hiding somewhere across the northern states. We've already alerted all divisions in that area. If these guys show up again, our strike teams know what to do."

Morshower nodded. He shifted in his chair, eyes drifting toward Lennox. "Anything to add, Colonel?"

Under the general's intense gaze and the curious stares of the other officers, Lennox chose his words carefully. "Yes, sir. I noticed that Decepticon attacks have increased for the last months." He hesitated. "Maybe they are looking for something?"

"They are always looking for something," Santos said with a snort, earning him a few chuckles. Lennox ignored them.

"We have considered that angle." Morshower tapped the table. "Especially with Megatron's return. But at the moment, there's nothing we can do except to track our enemies. In the meantime, the Department of Defense has given us an assignment."

Everyone sat straighter in their seats. Lennox stared at the general with apprehension, watching him pull a file from a brown envelope. When he offered it to Lennox, he took it silently.

It was a picture of Cade Yeager.

"We are to arrest Cade Yeager and all his accomplices by any means necessary."

"But, sir! They" Morshower immediately shot him a warning look, and it took Lennox great effort not to continue. He perfectly understood what the directive implied. It meant using lethal force against the Autobots. But that made the assignment all the more dangerous, for Lennox knew that their former allies would respond with equal brutality.

The thought of fighting them made his stomach twist in disgust.

"You will find all the information you'll need in that file." Morshower swept his gaze around the table. "Operation starts two days from now, and there can be no mistakes. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Santos said with a smug expression, as did the others.

"Yes, sir," Lennox muttered with a blank face.

"Good. Lennox, stay here. The rest of you, dismissed."

That caught Lennox a little off guard, and he frowned in confusion. As the rest of his team saluted, he saw Santos giving him a glare before filing out of the conference room, shutting the door behind him.

"Our friends in Cuba called," Morshower said abruptly, taking Lennox by surprise. It was rare for Simmons and his team to contact them nowadays, especially with the government's policy about fugitives.

Lennox glanced at the closed door quickly, then leaned forward and lowered his voice. "What did they say?"

Morshower hesitated. "Simmons received a strange email last week. It warned about a piece of Cybertronian technology that could potentially cause a mass-extinction event."

"What? But who sent the email?"

The general shook his head with a look of uncertainty. "We don't know. The file is encrypted, and the source is untraceable; the Wreckers have already tried. And we are certain it's not Optimus. This is too subtle for him. What we do know is that we need Cade Yeager and the Autobots to find this tech. At least, that's what the email says."

"And so we need them alive," Lennox said, face set with resolve.

"Yes… I understand that things are harder now, Lennox. But this is the best chance we've got to save them. If this tech is the reason the Decepticons are mobilizing again, the Autobots might be able to help us stop another world-ending threat."

"And if they didn't want to help us anymore?" Lennox asked softly. They had saved the world countless times in the past, yet the humans rewarded them with hate and contempt. He would not be surprised if Bumblebee and the rest refused to save humanity this time.

Sliding a hand across his face, Morshower sighed. "Then we are doomed, and there would be nothing we can do about it."


A burst of sparks scattered toward the evening sky like fireflies as Cade stoked the fire with a steel poker. The orange light cast a glow over the surroundings, suffusing the huddled figures with heat. Next to him, Izzy roasted a hotdog on a wooden stick, careful not to burn the meat within the roaring flames.

The campfire was a yard across, so everyone got a fair share of the warmth. There was always a cool breeze coming from the north at this time of the year, and it had been cold for the past week. Fortunately, the junkyard was well-stocked with oil and wood, which helped them drive away the chill.

Cade pondered everything Fowler said. While he didn't regret refusing to help the government, the news about Megatron's return bothered him. Living as fugitives was hard enough for them, what with their constant fear of a TRF strike team knocking on their front yard; the Decepticon leader's return only complicated matters.

Perhaps… Perhaps they should move again. But where would they go? They were banned everywhere else, and Cuba was hundreds of miles away. Sneaking past the borders would be suicide.

A loud metallic groan drew his attention. But when Cade looked, it was just Hound shifting his gigantic weight atop a flattened sedan. The Autobot commando stared at him with quiet concern. "Still thinking about earlier?" he said.

Cade returned his gaze to the crackling flames. He hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I'm just wondering how long do we have to keep running away until they stop bothering us."

Hound snorted. "They won't. Either they are here to get us or they are here to request for our help. Nothing else. We could scare them away though."

"And Megatron?

"Easy. We blow him up along with his lackeys."

"Yeah, sure," Jimmy muttered, munching on a sandwich. "Just don't do it while I'm here."

Hound grinned. "Don't worry. If ol' Megsy comes for a visit, we'll be sure to send you out first."

"Strapped to a grenade," Crosshairs added, earning him a few snickers from the other mechs.

Jimmy visibly paled, and Cade managed a quick chuckle at that. No matter how difficult their lives were, leave it to the Autobots to lighten up the conversations.

He felt a gentle poke at his head. And when Cade looked up, Bumblebee's glowing blue eyes greeted him. It will be fine, he said.

Cade nodded. "I know," he said softly. Purging what was left of his dark thoughts out of his mind, Cade glanced at Izabella. "So, what's our plan for tomorrow?"

The girl smirked. "Thought you'd never asked," she said between mouthfuls of food. "I talked with the Chief earlier. He agreed for a 15% commission."

"Robber," Sunstreaker said dryly. "Can't he do it for 10?"

Izabella glared at him. "He's risking his life being our dummy, y'know. I think that rate is pretty much reasonable. Besides, we owe him much for letting us stay here."

Sunstreaker turned to Cade. "Isn't it too much?"

Cade thought for a moment, then shrugged. "No. I expected that, anyway. If the Chief has agreed, I'm good with that."

"Fine," Sunstreaker said with a roll of his eyes. "But where are we getting the replacement parts?"

Everyone glanced at Izabella. She grinned. "Leave that to me."

The next day came dry and hot, so Cade readied himself for another blistering day under the sun.

They set out tidying the workshop, then brought in the Lamborghini for its overhaul. The more Cade looked at it, the more he grew less convinced of its salability; it didn't look like it could run another ten miles, no matter the state of its engine. Still he trusted Izabella and the prospect of earning millions.

First, they cleaned the engine, which took them the better part of an hour. It was still mostly serviceable, but years of neglect had clogged it with dust and hardened grease. Thankfully, the engine still worked.

After that, they began taking apart the entire car piece-by-piece. Parts that were irreparable were discarded, while those that just needed refurbishing and cleaning were strewn along a table. It left the Lamborghini no more than a skeleton, and Cade wondered how they would be able to complete it without the proper components.

His answer came moments later. A horn blared outside, followed by a stream of curses from Hound. Cade glanced at Izabella, who only grinned before striding outside the workshop. With a sigh, Cade joined her.

Hands on his hips, Cade witnessed a truck picking its way along the dirt path. That in itself was not unusual; what was unusual was the bulging sack it was lugging behind, containing an assortment of items that was enough to make even Cade jealous.

"I thought we agreed to keep him out of our yard," Hound grumbled, taking his spot next to Cade. Even as he spoke, Izabella was already hurrying forward to meet their unwanted guest.

"We did. I didn't know about this," Cade said. He scowled as the truck transformed into a towering mass of metal that everyone has grown to hate: Daytrader.

The Autobots started to converge, most with annoyed expressions. Crosshairs had his rifle balanced on a shoulder. Even Drift stared with disapproval, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword firmly

"Well, I never thought I'd be back here," Daytrader said cheerfully. He glanced around, then placed a large hand in his chest. "Oh, wow! A welcome committee for me? I'm touched!"

"They are not welcoming you, idiot." Hound stomped toward him, glaring.

Daytrader sighed. "Ah, come on, Hound. Don't be like that. I always come in peace, don't I?"

"Except for that time you brought a nuclear warhead."

"I thought you'd want to have it!"

"And that time you dumped us Starcream's head."

"Hey, it's a war trophy. An expensive one, too."

"What about that voice box that you promised would fix Bee's problem?"

"It didn't?"

"It didn't!" Several of the Autobots snapped, which caused Daytrader to visibly flinch. "He sounded like Siri," Trailbreaker added, shaking his head.

Daytrader chuckled. "Ah, well, these things happen sometimes."

Cade shook his head. Merchant, scavenger, and sometimes an information broker, Daytrader had become a fixture in their daily lives. He was harmless enough, and reliable at times, but his eccentricities were not really popular with the battle-hardened Autobots; an opinion that Cade shared.

"Hey, guys. Enough of this, okay? Daytrader is here to do business," said Izabella.

"Good business," Daytrader agreed. He shrugged off his pack, letting it fall into the ground with a thunderous rattle of its contents. With a wide smile, he added, "I even brought gifts."

Hound snorted. "Who are you? Santa Claus?" But despite that, his eyes gleamed with interest.

As always, Daytrader's wares varied. There were junks which looked more like they belonged to a recycling factory; an assortment of weapons—both human and alien—that Cade was certain couldn't be bought at the local gun shop; home appliances; and a host of other things that Cade could barely identify.

Daytrader began unloading his items. Cade noticed the excited sparkle in Izabella's eyes when the scavenger pulled out a large metal case. "First things first, the requested items." He flipped open the lid. Nestled inside were all of the parts they needed to complete the Lamborghini, glinting in the afternoon sun. "Second hand stuff, somewhat used, and guaranteed to be not stolen."

"Hearing you say that makes me think otherwise," Cade said dryly. He had to admit, though; the items looked brand new, if a little scratched and worn in some sections.

Daytrader feigned anguish. "Come on, Cade. You know I don't do illegal. Everything I have, I got through the most legitimate transactions."

They spent the next half hour watching Daytrader present his products. And though the Autobots were still annoyed at his presence, they did take some of them. Hound received an ammunition box of enormous depleted uranium shells, all of which were handmade by Daytrader himself; a drum of polishing compound for Sunstreaker; as well as a brand new blaster for Crosshairs, among other things.

In exchange, Daytrader took the tank gun they had gotten from yesterday's haul, and the legs of an KSI Walker too. While Cade had come up with a cool concept utilizing both parts, and really hated to see them go, a deal was still a deal, even if he did not agree to it personally.

It was almost nood by the time they finished. Both parties seemed satisfied enough, so Daytrader finally bade farewell, promising to return another time for more 'bargain deals'. Cade didn't doubt his words.

As the truck left, Cade said to Izabella, "No more surprises next time, okay?"

The girl looked guilty enough. She nodded. "Promise."

Cade smiled and ruffled her hair. "Good. Now, come on. Let's get this over with."

After a brief lunch, they continued working on the Lamborghini. The job took them most of the afternoon, even with help from Bumblebee, Sqweeks, and Longarm, as they still needed to sort out the parts and accessories. Refurbishing the chassis alone cost them half of their time, and Cade's hands were almost numb from holding the grinder for so long.

The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky when they beheld the result of their hard work: a bright yellow Lamborghini Aventador S freshly repainted and repaired, ready to take on the road once again.

"It looks beautiful," Izabella said, eyeing the car admirably. "Kinda a waste to sell it."

"It's your plan to sell it," Cade reminded her. They were both leaning on the wall, staring at the car in satisfaction. Cade didn't think it was possible given their limited supplies at first, but they had done it. And now, all they needed was to take a few pictures, post it on the internet, and wait until the cash was in their hands.

However, that would have to wait until tomorrow. The lighting was bad with the fast approaching dusk, and all of them were exhausted from the day's events. Jimmy was already slumped in his chair, eyes heavy with sleep.

"Good job today, everyone!" Cade said as he walked outside where the Autobots were starting to gather for the nightly campfire. "Hey, Jimmy! You're going to join us for dinner or what?

"Yeah, yeah, I am. Just let me rest for a minute." Jimmy yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

"Hurry up, or there'll be no food left for you!" Izabella called. As she prepared dinner, Cade sat in his usual spot and sighed.

The mood around the campfire was lively and cheerful. There were plenty of jokes, especially after Sunstreaker flaunted his new alt mode, much to the utter annoyance of his fellow speedsters. Izabella was excited about selling the car, and she was already planning what to buy for Canopy and Sqweeks.

"How about new tires?" she said. Though Transformers didn't need to change their internal parts, like engines, they were still a mechanical race who could transform into vehicles; naturally, their wheels were susceptible to deterioration from driving constantly.

The mech shook his head. "It's fine, Izzy," he said with a smile. For a being so large, Cade still could not believe how gentle Canopy's voice was.

"But they look worn out."

"They are still serviceable enough. Don't worry yourself about it."

Soon the sun vanished into the horizon and darkness crept over the landscape. The fire burned brightly, suffusing everyone with its warmth. A sense of contentment filled Cade. This was where he belonged, among his friends. His family. And while Tessa was not beside him, he knew that she was also safe and happy wherever she was.

Cade smiled, then he stood and groaned. His muscles were still sore from all the work he did. It was probably best that he turned in for the night.

"Going to sleep already?" Izabella asked.

Cade nodded. "We still have a lot of work to do tomorrow. You?"

"Gonna stay here for a bit longer."

"Okay. But don't stay up late, okay?"

There was a collective Good Nights from the Autobots. But as Cade made his way toward his mobile home, a low hum filled the air. He thought it was his imagination at first; he was exhausted and sleepy. But when the others started in alarm, only then did he realize that the hum was not a figment of his mind.

Then the radio crackled to life, and the Chief's urgent and panicked voice boomed: "—an't go past here! Hey! Shit. Cade, code red! You and everyone else have to get out of there NOW!"

Color immediately drained from Cade's face. The Chief had never uttered their highest level of alert before. Cade whirled around and yelled even as the Autobots sprang to their feet. "Izzy! Jimmy! Get the emergency bags now!"

Hound roared, "Incoming!"

In the sky above them, a bright orange glow streaked toward their position. Trailbreaker raised his arms, face set in panic and determination. With a desperate shout, Cade ran toward Izabella and tackled her to the ground.

There was an ear-shattering explosion, and everything went white.


20 days since my last update. Most likely, this interval will become my regular schedule for this fic. Though if I have some extra free time, I can probably release a new chapter every 15 days.

In any case, things are starting to heat up! The next chapter will obviously be action-packed, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, I've thought to change things a bit and start answering reviews directly through PM.

How do you like this chapter? Good? Bad?

Please Read & Review!

Until next time!