Chapter 100 – Angels and Ghosts

(MPOV)

"Please," my Optimus whispered, holding my hand. I looked at him worriedly. "Please be careful."

I couldn't help but smile at my dear, loving bot, I pulled him close and pressed a kiss to the holoform's lips. "Nothing," I murmured, "and no-one will ever keep me from you." I slipped from his cab and into the shadows.

::. Nothing for security in the air vents.:: my little-brother informed me quietly. I couldn't help but smirk somewhat, climbing up the drainpipes to the roof. Regardless of his information, I checked the air-vent for wires before popping it open, old habit. It was the work of minutes to shimmy through the ducts, peering through vents.

The place was crawling, that could pose a problem.

::. Kae to Optimus.:: I sent quietly.

::. Responding.:: his voice murmured.

::. They've got a veritable army in here.:: I muttered with a frown.

::. Well how are we supposed to get 'em out?.:: Ironhide rumbled with a frown.

I thought for a long moment.

::. How long until the rest of NEST shows up?.:: I asked curiously, moving through the vents again. I glanced to my right and smirked.

Found the wiring. Immediately, I was hooking up the router.

::. Hey Bee, how's the security hookup?.:: I added with a smirk.

::. Enabling... HAH!.:: my little-brother smirked. ::. Full access to their cameras.::

::. The soldiers are surrounding the perimeter.:: Optimus rumbled quietly.

::. Oops, and they can see them.:: Bumblebee added with a frown.

::. Good, tell the soldiers to make a bit of ruckus then fall back.:: I smirked. I promptly began making my way through the air ducts, planting smoke bombs and scenters.

::. Mikaela, we do not harm humans.:: my Optimus rumbled sternly.

::. I know that, do they?.:: I asked cheerfully. The scent of natural gas began swirling around me. I checked my watch for a moment and smirked, threading a gas-mask over my face. I settled in to wait.

::. Hey Kae? The Humans are scrambling everywhere...:: Bee stated with a small frown.

::. Excellent, tell the soldiers to fall back.:: I smirked.

::. Message passed.:: Ironhide rumbled with a frown ::. The soldiers are moving, what are you doing Kae?.::

::. Oh, liiitle bit of the Banes building clearer. Oh and hey Bee? Trip the fire alarm will you?.::

I promptly triggered the smoke bombs to blow.

It became incredibly difficult to see, but I could hear the thunder of footsteps, the scream of the alarm.

But best of all? Ironhide was howling with laughter.

::. Looks like they're abandoning the base.:: Bumblebee sent cheerfully ::. Their databanks are dumping into an outside server.::

I frowned.

::. What's going to stop them from re-building the soaeletron?.:: I asked with that frown.

::. Hmn? Jolt re-routed it, they are dumping it right into our servers.:: my Optimus rumbled with a shrug. I almost laughed aloud.

::. You're a remarkably handy bunch of people to have around, you know that right?.:: I laughed.

(OPOV)

Optimus watched in amusement as smoke began pouring from the building, the fire alarm blaring. The odour the humans used to mark the explosive gas they used for cooking was heavy in the air. Ironhide was howling with laughter over the Primary, the very sound marking his pride in his human niece.

::. What's going to stop them from re-building the soaeletron?.:: his Kae asked with a frown.

::. Hmn?.:: Optimus rumbled mildly. ::. Jolt re-routed it, they are dumping the information right into our servers.:: he informed his fiancee cheerfully.

::. You're a remarkably handy bunch of people to have around, you know that right?.:: his Kae laughed.

"SCRAP!" Bumblebee was shouting the next second. "Kae! Get OUT OF THERE!"

"Bumblebee!?" Optimus shouted.

"The soaeletron! It's overloading!" Bumblebee howled.

"FALL BACK!" Optimus roared.

::. What's happening!?.:: his Kae demanded.

::. It's gonna blow!.:: Ironhide roared. A blast rocked the area, evidently the beginnings of the building initiating a self-destruct.

Optimus immediately transformed, running for the now abandoned building.

His Kae was in there.

::. FUCK!.:: her voice shouted the next second.

::. KAE!.::

::. Optimus I'm stuck!.:: she shouted.

Bumblebee was scanning the area, the only human within a mile was Kae.

::. Ping me!.:: he commanded flatly.

::. What?.::

::. Give me your location!.:: Optimus roared in a flat panic, fully using the voice of command. ::. PING ME!.::

In moments, his spark knew the precise location of the little transponder in her wrist. He knew her body's condition, felt her leg trapped.

But knowing her location, coupled with the schematics of the building?

Optimus brought his cannons online and began blasting anything that got in his way, digging a hole through the building.

The damage did not matter, it would be gone soon.

::. Bumblebee! Ironhide! Fall back!.:: Optimus roared at the only remaining soldiers in the area. If he were to die, he would go with his Kae, but Primus willing that would not be today. Behind him, he could hear the rapid transformations and roaring engines of his Weapons Master and Scout. They did not like the idea of abandoning him, but neither could they disobey the command.

::. Ping me!.:: Optimus commanded again, a fresh signal from his Kae, three more cannon blasts and he was within ten units. ::. Ping me!.:: Fresh signal. Optimus bulled his way through the remaining wall.

"OPTIMUS!" Mikaela shouted.

The metal ducting peeled away easily, and Optimus fairly snatched his Kae from her trap.

Femme to chest, he turned tail and ran, there was no thought involved, no thought needed, the second he was clear of the rubble he transformed around his femme, roaring after his scout and weapons master. The crackle of energy was heavy in the air. The warning sign.

His Kae was sobbing, curled up in his passenger's seat and clinging to him. A rapid scan showed her mostly uninjured, her pheromones denoting the highest level of fear he had ever scented on her. But that was all he could spare, he threw every ounce of power he had into driving.

Then, then the sound he had been dreading. The sizzle. A sound he had only heard once before, the sound of a soaeletron overloading, and disintegrating anything in it's path. He kept driving.

::. OPTIMUS!.:: Ironhide's voice was roaring, his voice barely making it through the static.

No time for thought, no time for speech, all power thrown into speed.

As quickly as the panic began, it was finished. The sizzle ceased, the static eased.

They were clear.

Optimus slowed somewhat and onlined his holoform, scooping his Kae into his arms and holding her as tightly as she clung to him.

"It's my fault," she sobbed into his shoulder. "It's all my fault, you could have gotten killed because I was too cocky to get out of my own decoy! I should have known! I should have known they'd self-destruct...!"

"Mikaela, be still!" Optimus barked at her sharply, he didn't have the spark to physically slap her from her hysteria as Chromia had.

Mikaela stared at him in shock.

"You are alive, as am I," Optimus growled at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Optimus crushed his beloved close to his chest again for a long moment before pulling back.

"Are you alright? How is your leg?" he demanded worriedly, running his hands over her body, checking for injuries, and if he were perfectly honest, ensuring that she was, in fact, there.

"The nanites can take care of the bumps and scrapes," Mikaela whispered, clinging to him again.

Optimus synced his processors in relief.

::. Ironhide, status report?.:: he sent quietly.

::. Kae?.:: Ironhide husked out.

::. She is with me, and we are both whole.:: Optimus sent gently, the relief emanating from Bumblebee was almost palpable.

::. Everyone got out...:: Ironhide rumbled softly.

::. Ironhide?.::

::. Have you looked back yet?.:: Ironhide murmured softly.

Optimus looked back, and felt his spark break at the scene.

Where once had been a veritable forest, and an impressive base, a crater lay torn into the face of the earth.

(WPOV)

Will stood, leaning heavily against Ironhide's leg.

It was devastating, looking at the crater where a national forest had once been.

The press was going to have a field day with it, thank the gods it had been in an unpopulated area. And now, now the government would be able to see, firsthand, why the bots had refused to share their weapons technology.

The fact that a human had built that though...

Will pressed his face to Ironhide's armour, thankful that the bots had been there.

Because god only knew if they would have spotted that on their own. His phone rang, and he held it to his ear automatically.

"Will!?" Barry's voice shouted. "Is everyone okay!? My reports are showing an earthquake! Magnitude five on the scale in Portland!"

"...Yeah..." Will muttered softly.

"That's not an answer Major!" the Director barked.

"We're okay, the forest..." Will whispered.

"Major?"

"It's gone. The soaeletron blew, we all got out, but there's a crater..."

There was silence on the end of the phone.

"You blew it up?"

"MECH did."

"Okay then."

"What?"

"Well, if MECH did it, that's no problem for me to keep your asses off the wire."

"Oh."

"I'd suggest heading home, Major, it won't do for your lot to be hanging around there. I got this."

"Oh. Kay..." Will muttered.

"Go home, Major," Barry murmured gently. "I'll take care of it."

"Thank you." Will managed to get out. He put his phone back in his pocket and continued to stare at the crater for another minute before shaking himself and shouting out the orders. A long, practically silent drive home, and Will found himself standing on the catwalks of communications central, quietly reporting the events.

"Where's Kae?" Barry finally asked quietly.

"With Optimus," Will murmured.

"Where's Optimus?"

"In his quarters, the both of them are still meshed," Jolt shrugged.

"Meshed?"

"She's in his spark-chamber, they're both making sure the other is still there."