ROH Chapter 11
[Author's notes: As some of you have pointed out, there are lots of small details buried in the previous chapters that do give a few hints about future events or revelations. PLEASE; this is NOT my fault! Blame the plot demons! As proof, all I can offer is the fact that there is not one single note, outline, or even a general plot in existence! It comes straight out of my head, and goes straight into the chapter. They also seem to be on some kind of weird rampage and have me working on a few new stories as well, so please, feed the plot demons the type of food they crave, submit a review and GRIPE at them.]
Everyone in the hangar was staring at Frenzy in open mouthed astonishment. The silence grew thick and heavy as no one could really believe that the spastic little mech had just put his life on the line. It was more than a full minute before anyone spoke.
"Slag me for worthless scrap! (Untranslatable Cybertronian) is going to KILL me! SLOWLY!" Barricade growled disgustedly.
"Who is, whatever you said, and why would they kill you because he made a promise?" Sec Def Keller asked confused with a gesture at Frenzy.
"That would be Frenzy's creator. Frenzy is what you would call a Cassetticon; he has a bond with both the other Cassetticons that were also made by his creator as well as a bond with his creator. It's difficult to explain, but they are like spark mates and siblings at the same time. The death or even injury of one of them affects the others as well." Ratchet explained. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised that he even lets those slaggers out of his sight. How the pit did you manage to get him to let you bring Frenzy along on this mission anyway?"
"That would be because of Megatron's orders. That and I DID promise to try my best to keep him safe." Barricade answered ruefully.
"BarriBarriBarricade g, g, g, good partner! Not say 'Shut the s, s, s, slag up!' all the t, t, time!" Frenzy chortled happily as he went back to his website modifications.
"Of course not! I already knew that it wouldn't do any slagging good anyway; so I just deactivated my audio receptors while you rambled." Barricade said with an evil smirk.
Frenzy began sputtering indignantly until he realized that Barricade had let him do his own thing without complaint. That was when the spastic little mech started giggling madly.
Everyone was watching the little mech, and several of the humans were obviously about to ask about it when Barricade cut them short.
"Don't ask, because you don't want to know! That weird little mech will talk you in to a permanent stasis lock!" Barricade warned irritably.
Frenzy cocked his top right optic over at Barricade, but didn't say anything as he happily went back to his various websites.
Sec Def Keller cleared his throat to regain everyone's attention.
"Okay, now that we've got one concern cleared up. Let's move on to the next problem. Just where in the blazes are we gonna put that ship of theirs, and how are we gonna hide it?" Sec Def Keller asked the group in general.
"I might have a solution to both of those problems, but first, I need to know if that ship is less than seven hundred and twenty-one feet wide." General Mallory said as he stood up.
"It is actually six hundred thirteen point two feet wide; why do you ask?" Optimus countered.
"Because this base actually has seven airstrips, even though we've never used the seventh one, because it's hidden underground. That longest airstrip out there ain't quite long enough to land the space shuttle on, but there's a good reason that it extends almost the full length of this valley. That's because it's built in sections five feet wide and more than one hundred feet thick that can be retracted to reveal another airstrip several hundred feet down that would remain completely undamaged by a nuclear attack. THAT is the seventh airstrip, and I think it would be an almost perfect parking spot for that space ship of yours." General Mallory stated proudly, and smugly.
Daniel was staring at the Air Force General as if the man was crazier than he was, so was everyone else for that matter.
"What, you got like some kind of super sized garage door opener or something?" Sam asked in a cocky tone.
"Not quite, son. More like nearly two hundred miles of anchor chain from an aircraft carrier, massive ratcheting hydraulics to pull those chains, and a lot more heavy equipment that happens to be classified." The General answered with a smug grin.
"Shit!" Daniel growled out. "That'd be something I'd like to see in action."
"Same here! Haven't had a chance to try it out since I took command of this base, but it looks like I'm gonna get that chance after all." General Mallory shot back with a mischievous grin.
"So, they can really land that thing right here, then?" Sec Def Keller asked in disbelief.
"See! I told you man! Area 51, Hangar 18! If you're gonna land a spaceship, then THIS is where ya gotta park it!" Glen exclaimed excitedly as he was proven right all over again.
"Awww crap! We're never gonna hear the end of that." Daniel complained under his breath as he went to grab another cup of caffeinated syrup.
The salvage operator froze when he saw half a dozen agents wheeling in dollies loaded with cases of his favorite beverage.
Daniel immediately walked over to get one, but was waved away.
"These were brought in for Frenzy, and YOU are not to touch even so much as ONE of them!" The agent said flatly as he placed his hand on the but of his sidearm.
Daniel stared at the agent in stark disbelief. The agents had rolled the dollies in and unloaded them before heading back out for a second trip, before Daniel could gather his wits about him.
The salvage operator nodded to himself and stood there waiting for the agents to come back in with the second load.
"Don't try it, you little slagger! I am NOT getting involved!" Barricade warned from across the hangar.
"Oh Primus in a pit!" Ratchet growled as he looked over the situation.
No one except Maigan expected what happened next, as the salvage operator turned on his heel and stormed back over to the coffee urn. Daniel was truly pissed about the situation, but there were a few things that he hated, liars and thieves being among the top five. He was not about to just mug someone over a can of coffee.
Daniel finished fixing his coffee and turned around to look at his most senior boss.
"Is there any other problems that need to be dealt with?" Daniel asked in a near growl.
"None that I'm aware of why?" Sec Def Keller replied.
"Good! Now what papers do I need to get back in here after I leave?" Daniel demanded in the same tone.
"You and everyone else got added to the gate list last night, so your current ID badge will get you back in." Col Anderson stated.
Daniel didn't say anything in reply, but instead walked over to where the Autobots were still seated comfortably.
"Yo Tackleberry! Would you mind giving me a lift while I go pick up some supplies?" Daniel asked looking up at the large black mech.
This not being what Ironhide had come to expect from the deranged human, Ironhide had to replay the request in his processors a few times before he could answer.
"Uh, sure." Ironhide answered in surprise.
"Well if the two of you are going then I am most certainly coming along!" Barricade interrupted.
"Why do you need to come? What, ya think I'm going to terminate him or something?" Ironhide asked sourly.
"Nope! But I just swore an oath to protect the humans of this world from all Cybertronian threats, since he is now my spark brother; that includes protecting the rest of this planet from HIM!" Barricade stated while pointing straight at Daniel.
Ironhide was chuckling at that and so was Barricade. Barricade's laughter was cut short however when Daniel kicked him in the ankle, right on one of his hydraulic lines with his steel toed boots.
"You Primus damned pit fragging little glitch! What the slag was that for?" Barricade bellowed in pain as he hopped on one foot.
"That was for mocking me damnit!" Daniel retorted as he too hopped around.
"Is there some unwritten law of Primus which says that siblings HAVE to squabble like this?" Starglide asked Optimus as she turned to face him.
Optimus grabbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head in exasperation.
At that point Maigan walked over and whapped her uncle in the back of his head.
"Hey! What was that for?" Both Daniel and Barricade demanded in unison.
"Awww, CRAP! I'm sorry that you had to feel that Barricade, but HE deserved it!" Maigan apologized sweetly.
"Hey I just realized. If Daniel and Barricade are brothers now; doesn't that make Barricade my uncle, Ironhide my great uncle, and you kind of like my grand mother?" Maigan asked Starglide in a tone that said she was weirded out by the whole concept.
Starglide chuckled merrily as she reached down and picked the young female up.
"Of course it does dear, but you must understand that while I for one am happy to add you to my family, it also means that we are, unfortunately, related to these three, and I do SINCERELY apologize for that." Starglide said kindly as she indicated the two spark brothers and her own sibling.
Maigan burst out laughing as the three began sputtering their protests.
"Uh huh! Looks like I'm not the only one to notice that poor girl's plight!" Sec Def Keller said to himself but loud enough to make sure Daniel heard it.
"Damnit Boss! You stay out of this! I'm out numbered enough as it is!" Daniel complained in a grouchy tone that belied the grin on his face.
Almost everyone else in the hangar was laughing at the expense of the salvage operator and the two mechs. One of the exceptions to this was General Mallory who was appraising the salvage operator shrewdly.
"So you two ready to go?" Daniel asked as everyone finally stopped laughing at his expense.
"Uncle Daniel would you mind bringing me back some Monsters?" Maigan asked hopefully as she looked down from her perch in Starglide's hand.
Daniel looked up at his niece for a minute before he shook his head.
"I got a better idea. Why don't you come along for the ride, since I'll be swinging by the yard to pick up a few things; we can grab you some more clothes while we're at it. Because if you think for one second that I'm going to try figuring out what clothes you want, or what you like to wear; you'd have to be at least half as crazy as I am." Daniel told her.
A slow sly grin creeped across Maigan's face as she realized the potential of this trip. She glanced over at Mikeala and the two exchanged a meaningful look, and a grin.
"Please Uncle 'Hide can I ride with you?" Maigan asked in the sweetest tone she could manage.
"Humph! Better you than him!" Ironhide said with a pointed glance at Daniel.
Maigan whooped happily as Starglide set her down.
As Maigan was gathering her purse and getting ready to go, a subtle motion from Jazz caught Ironhide's attention. The two mechs exchanged a look that no one else caught but would not have needed a translation if they had. Clearly Jazz was taking his debt to Daniel seriously enough that even Ironhide wasn't going to call him on it. Ironhide nodded his head to acknowledge the unspoken threat, and to promise to take care of the young woman that would be entrusted to him.
"So, where are we going?" Ironhide asked Daniel curiously.
"We're gonna swing by Hoover Dam and pick up our things from there, then head on back to my yard, so that I can pick up some tools, equipment, clothes, supplies, and a few provisions." Daniel said with a pointed glance at the agents that had brought in Frenzy's coffee supplies.
"Is there some reason why you can't use the tools and equipment we have here?" General Mallory asked wondering if perhaps the man was somehow maligning his base.
"Huh! Not really, but I do have a few things that you don't have because they're modified tools I made myself, and as for the rest, I still need some clothes, smokes, drinks, and a few OTHER things!" Daniel replied with a malevolent smile.
"Well, according to the instructions I've received, both you and everyone else assigned to work with them, are to be assigned a set of quarters for you to use." General Mallory replied with a nod in the direction of the Autobots.
"In that case just make sure of a few things for me. One that my niece's quarters are close to mine. (This got an indignant huff from Maigan.) Two; that both of our quarters are close to whatever area is going to be used as a repair bay for the Autobots, and three, that there is some kind of spare room for me to use as a workshop for tinkering around with shit, sometimes dangerous shit." Daniel finished with a grin.
"Just what do you mean by dangerous shit?" The General demanded as his eyes narrowed.
"Sometimes I like to experiment with shit for the fun of it. On certain rare occasions I enjoy building things like potato guns." Daniel said with relish.
"I catch you building a damned potato gun and firing that thing off inside my base, and I don't give a damn if you're the damned President; your ass WILL be in the brig!" General Mallory snarled.
"Wouldn't dream of using it inside! Besides, ain't any way that I could get a bead on 'Ol Bones over there without him knowin about it." Daniel shot back with a grin and a wink.
"I heard that you little slagger! Keep on, and you'll find yourself restrained until both your caffeine and nicotine addictions are long past over and done with!" Ratchet bellowed from across the hangar.
"Didn't you learn yesterday that you can't beat one of those guys in a fight? They're several times your height, and their weight advantage is measured in TONS!" General Mallory demanded in exasperation.
"Not yet. Ain't had a fight that ain't been interfered with by someone else, but sooner or later, one's gonna go down, and everybody will finally learn not to annoy the crazy person. I know one thing though; I was gettin' the best of the first fight I got into thanks to that crowbar of mine." Daniel said simply.
General Mallory shook his head in disgust at the salvage operator.
"Hey speaking of which. Where the hell are my crowbars?" Daniel asked suspiciously.
"I have them, and you are not getting them back until you learn some slagging manners!" Ratchet bellowed at the junk yard owner.
Daniel narrowed his eyes as turned to glare at the medic. Then he flashed a grin and nodded his head.
"Ok, I can see right now that it's gonna be an 'everybody piss off Daniel' kind of day. Well, if that's the way y'all wanna play it; I got something for ya!" Daniel stated maliciously.
The salvage operator had turned to head over to the wall to get his ice chest, which was sitting not too far from the hangar doors, when he heard a voice behind him.
"Beanbeanbeanbean Juice! G. G. G. Good Stuff!" Frenzy sputtered happily.
Daniel turned around to see what the little mech was babbling about now and saw that Frenzy was holding out three of his hands with a different flavor of Java monster in each one, while his fourth hand was feeding his own coffee cravings.
Realizing that the strange little mech was offering, Daniel reached out and selected the Russian with a grin.
"Thanks Buddy! At least SOMEONE around here knows how to fuckin share!" Daniel stated with a pointed glance at the former Sector Seven agents that had brought the stuff in.
"If he wants to give you one, that's up to him. Otherwise hands OFF!" The senior agent shot back ominously.
The salvage operator downed a good fourth of the can as he went over to grab his empty ice chest, before turning to look back at Barricade and Ironhide.
"Y'all ready? If so, let's get the lead out! I got places to go and things to do, besides, we got a ship comin' in, and we better be ready for it." Daniel said in a much happier tone.
There was a bit of grumbling from Ironhide as he transformed. Barricade didn't say anything, but the look in his optics showed that he wasn't going to be happy today.
Maigan happily climbed up in the cab of the black truck, and her delighted smile could easily be seen by everyone in the hangar as she got behind the wheel of the massive truck.
The small group left Nellis without any problems, but pulled into the first convenience store they found.
After checking his balance, Daniel was happily surprised to find that the Government had not only covered his overdraft, but had also dropped in a sizable amount of spending money.
Another Styrofoam ice chest was bought along with drinks for Maigan, and Daniel cleared out the racks of nearly every java Monster they had in stock, and several of the double sized Full Throttles. Daniel was about to turn away from the cooler when he spotted something new. On impulse he grabbed a few cans of something called Monster Hammer, thinking that if their coffee was good, their espresso had to be even better.
They were making pretty good time as they headed back to the Hoover Dam complex. Maigan had successfully cajoled Ironhide into letting her drive, and was now in the process of trying to sweet talk him into taking her and Mikeala mudding.
Daniel was playing one CD after another while Barricade did the driving. Daniel knew that the modified Mustang was in some kind of a funk, but he didn't realize just how far into it the former Decepticon was until after he'd played an entire CD of Polka music that even got on his nerves without a single protest from the mech.
Daniel thumped his fist lightly on the dashboard to make sure he had the mech's attention.
"Spit it out, dude!" Daniel ordered.
"Spit what out, and don't hit me again." Barricade said irritably.
"Whatever the hell's eatin at ya, and don't try to bullshit me and say there ain't nothin; cuz that was the weakest damned response I've gotten out of you yet." Daniel retorted.
"You would not begin to understand the complexities of my problems, human." Barricade growled.
"Try me!" Daniel dared.
Barricade knew that the human he was bonded with, would be annoyingly persistent, and wasn't one to quit until he got what he wanted.
"Fine! You want to know what my problem is? I'll tell you. How do I make amends for accusing Ironhide of killing my creators?" Barricade snarled.
"Oh, is that all? Bah! That ain't much of a problem. You tell him you're sorry, otherwise, you can't make amends for something like that, but you do have to put it in perspective." Daniel replied candidly.
"What do you mean by that?" Barricade countered.
"Simple. If you think you feel like shit over accusing him of killing your parents, think about how you'd feel if you'd found out about all of this AFTER you'd actually killed him for it." Daniel answered bluntly.
Tires squealed as Barricade stalled out from shock as he thought of the implications of what Daniel had just said.
"Slag me for scrap! That's exactly what might have happened! If things had gone just a little differently I WOULD have killed him!" Barricade snarled in surprise.
"Exactly, so you got to try to find a way to let that part of the past die and move on. Talk to him one day when you get a chance." Daniel told him.
"I will, and thanks." Barricade replied.
"You're welcome, and don't you go gettin soft on me now, you ugly chunk of scrap!" Daniel stated with a grin.
"Wouldn't dream of it, you rotten little flesh bag!" Barricade shot back instantly.
The remaining two hours of the trip to Hoover Dam was made in relative silence. The exception was Barricade's CD player, which Daniel was putting to use non-stop. As the salvage operator reached for another drink, the Monster Hammer caught his eye. He hadn't tried one of them yet, so now was as good a time as any.
Grabbing the small can and cracking it open, Daniel had half the can swallowed before the flavor really hit him. Instantly, the psychotic salvage operator was pulling the can away from his face, wiping his mouth and gagging.
"What's wrong crunchy? I thought you liked caffeine?" Barricade taunted.
"Yeah, but that shit is BEYOND nasty! I'll give the rest of 'em to Frenzy and see if he likes those damned things, cuz I sure as hell ain't gonna drink 'em!" Daniel answered irritably.
"Oh! So you plan on making Frenzy purge his tanks with that stuff instead?" Barricade retorted as the two rolled up to the security gate at the Hoover Dam complex.
"I didn't say that! And don't you put fuckin words in my mouth! I said I'd see if he likes 'em. If he don't, then anyone that DOES like 'em, can fuggin HAVE 'em! Otherwise, they go in the fuggin trash!" Daniel clarified angrily as he was still trying to get a grip on his rebelling stomach.
Barricade snickered happily as he watched Daniel try to rant while still gagging from the awful flavor of the stuff he'd ingested. "Perhaps you should try some more. Who knows; the taste might grow on you." The Former Decepticon suggested evilly.
The mere thought of trying that stuff again had Daniel gagging harder than ever, and he began kicking the underside of the dash to take his revenge since he couldn't talk at that point.
"OW! Stop kicking me you rotten slagger! It was only a suggestion! Besides; it might be an acquired taste." Barricade bellowed after being kicked four times in quick succession.
"Shut up!" Daniel finally managed to get out in between retches of his stomach.
"Oh come on! Surely you can try it just one more time." Barricade teased with another loud snicker.
With that comment Daniel's stomach clenched hard enough to hurt, and if he had to be in pain, then he was going to make sure that he didn't suffer alone. Hauling his right foot out from under the dash, near the pedals; Daniel hauled off and kicked the radio with the heel of his boot.
The instant he'd made that comment; Barricade knew that he'd made a mistake when it felt like the pit of his tank was being crushed by his own internal systems. He wasn't a bit surprised when the human lashed out at the cause of that particular pain. Truth be told; if someone had told him something disgusting enough to nearly make him purge in such a painful fashion, Barricade knew that he'd have their spark for some type of ornamentation.
The pain that Barricade was getting in his tanks was pretty intense. That combined with what the demented little man had just done, had the mech swerving all over the road leading to the gates of the Hoover Dam complex.
Ahead of them, Ironhide couldn't help but notice the erratic driving, and he slowed down to see what was going on. A quick scan of the former Decepticon told the weapon specialist all he needed to know. Ironhide slowed down to pace the interceptor, even as he opened a com channel to the cruiser.
"What are you worthless slaggers fighting about now? Don't make me pull over and separate you two!" Ironhide warned loudly.
Barricade went silent at the threat. The front line shock trooper couldn't believe his audios. For his part, Daniel was startled by the warning, and without Barricade teasing him and reminding him of the horrible taste he'd gotten, he was finally able to gain control of his rebelling stomach.
"You stay out of this! This is between me and the flesh wad!" Barricade sent back quickly.
"I know he didn't just say that!" Daniel finally burst out.
"Oh, yes he did!" Maigan called out over the open com line, laughing merrily.
"You stay out of this, Kiddo! Cuz he's in a world of trouble for that one!" Daniel snapped at his niece.
"Oh no he isn't! If you two don't straighten up; I'm gonna have Uncle Hide call Starglide!" Maigan threatened.
"Damned meddling females." Daniel grumbled under his breath after letting out a snarl of frustration.
"I couldn't agree more!" Barricade growled. "Why do they always have to spoil things just when it's starting to get fun?"
"Damn if I know. All I know is; you can't live with 'em, and you DAMNED sure can't kill 'em!" Daniel griped sourly.
"Now THAT is the slagging truth!" Barricade agreed readily.
"You won't have to worry about it after we get back to the base, because I'm DEFINITELY telling Starglide about THAT little comment!" Maigan called out over the still open com line.
"Turn off the fuckin radio; ya goddamned scrap heap!" Daniel bellowed as soon as his niece finished her threat.
Ironhide's roaring laughter was cut off as Barricade finally cut the connection and the line of communication with a snarl of disgust.
"We are going to be so slagged when we get back." Barricade said quietly as he came to a stop at the gate.
"Yeah. No shit, Sherlock! We're gonna be screwed, blued, and tattooed." Daniel griped as he handed over his ID to the gate guard.
The gate guard passed the unlikely pair through the gate. Barricade had just gotten inside the Dam itself when his comm system received a ping from an unidentifiable source. Curious, the former Decepticon opened the channel.
"You two may think you've gotten away with your little round of mischief, but I can easily assure you that you WILL find a world of trouble upon your return to this base, and don't think for one split second that I won't make both of your lives miserable, because I can and I WILL! Please, just PLEASE let me hear of you two bickering one more time and see what happens!" Starglide stated coldly.
Blood and energon both turned to ice in the veins and lines of the two spark brothers as they listened to the complete sincerity in the femme's tone and voice.
"Daniel, I don't care if you ARE an adult by human standards, you are living and dealing with us now, so if you want to continue being treated as an adult then you WILL act like one! Otherwise I will treat you like the tiny little infant that you appear to be. Especially with the way you act. Barricade, YOU know better! I know for a fact that I raised you better than this, and if you think that just because you are considered an adult now, that you are beyond my authority, you will find out very quickly that I helped bring you into this universe and I can remove you from it as well. You two now share a bond, and whether you like it or not, your lives are intertwined, and that means that the actions of one will affect the other. There will be NO more bickering between you two, or I will deal with BOTH of you! And I don't want to hear any more profanity out of either of you when either I or Maigan is around. You WILL begin showing some respect whether you want to or not! Have I made myself clear?" Starglide demanded in a cold tone that would have frozen the spark of Unicron himself.
"Dude! Do you think she's serious?" Daniel quipped as his attitude and mouth once again got the better of him.
Oh SLAG! She's going to kill us! Barricade thought in shock when he heard Daniel's comment.
"Oh you'd better believe I'm serious. I'll lock you in a room small enough that you'll barely be able to move around, and I'll make absolutely certain that you have none of your caffeine or nicotine available. I'll leave you in that room for an entire year, and then I'll see about the POSSIBILITY of letting you out. Do I make myself clear?" Starglide said in a very sweet tone that belied the deadly ice beneath it.
Barricade experienced a thrill of fear at his creator's words, and he would have been perfectly happy to abide by her instructions, but the cold deadly rage that he felt in his human spark brother frightened him just as much as his own creator's wrath. He couldn't believe how fast this human went from being amused by the warning to being so fragged off by it, that he was ready to kill. It had happened in an instant, and it was very disturbing.
"Listen Lady. I don't take kindly to threats at ALL! You may be Barricade's mother, and you may be able to dictate his life, but you do NOT dictate mine! NO one does! I refuse to let ANYONE dictate the way I live my life, and that includes you or anyone else that thinks they have that right, because I got news for you; you DON'T! Now do I make myself clear?" Daniel retorted in a low dangerous tone.
"Oh perfectly. But, I still think this little matter should wait until you get back so we can discuss this issue in person. Because like it or not, you and I have quite a few issues to go over. So as I said, we'll discuss this when you return." Starglide said in that same sweet tone as she cut the line of communication.
Barricade said nothing as he rolled to a stop behind Ironhide in what been used as a med bay. He could feel the anger radiating off the salvage operator in waves. He knew that he'd seen and felt the weird little being far angrier than he was now, but it was the speed with which the human made the transition was what was so disturbing.
Daniel gaped as he stepped out of the police styled enforcer. As he looked around the stone walled chamber, he saw that nearly everything had been packed up as a literal army of agents got ready to move their head quarters to Nellis Air Force base. He went from being angry to amazed in an instant. The various tables and platforms that he'd used only the day before were now gone. The work bench, his tools, and even his truck box had all been removed from the chamber.
"Wow! It's like none of them were ever here." Maigan said quietly.
"No shit! When these guys decide to pack up and move out, they don't play any games." Daniel muttered as he kept looking around.
Shelves, tables, scaffolding and tools. Everything had been removed from the now completely empty room. He looked around as slow smile crept across the junk yard owner's face.
"HEY!" Daniel shouted at the top of his lungs as he listened to the multitude of echoes that thundered around the room for nearly a full minute. As he listened to the echoes bouncing off the walls of the chamber, the salvage operator was looking up at the ceiling and staring at it intently.
"What are looking at?" Maigan asked curiously.
"The ceiling. The blast mark where I shot it yesterday is even gone." Daniel stated with a frown.
"We got a call with instructions to clear the place out. So we're going to make sure that it will look like we were never here. From here on out, these rooms are nothing more than a means of future expansion for Hoover Dam." Said a voice behind them.
Maigan looked over as Daniel turned around to see one of the staff members from Agent Bannacheck's group.
"So where's all our stuff?" Daniel demanded quickly.
"That's all been loaded onto trucks and is headed for Nellis as we speak. That includes everything from the room you were using as quarters. In another five hours, we will have completely removed any sign or trace that Sector Seven was ever here." The Agent said proudly.
A surprised expression was on his face as Daniel turned to face the others. "Well, I guess the only thing left to do now is head over to the yard and grab what we need from there."
"Sounds good to me. Are you going to BBQ while we're there?" Maigan asked hopefully.
Daniel frowned thoughtfully as he looked at his niece and thought the question over. Then a sly grin crept across his features as an idea popped into his head.
"No. But I'll tell ya what I'll do. We'll stop by the store and pick up some stuff. Then when we get to the yard, I'll set up the pit, get it fired up, and load it up with seven or eight different kinds. You and Tackleberry can haul that back to Nellis while I finish up at the yard, and then when I get back to the base, we'll all have an all out BBQ. How does that sound?" Daniel asked her with a grin still plastered on his face.
Maigan's eyes lit up and her entire demeanor changed in an instant as she brightened right away. She whooped with glee, gave a small hop of excitement, and was nearly as happy as a kid in a candy store with a pocket full of money.
"Awesome! I've been looking forward to that BBQ since I went home at the end of last summer." She exclaimed happily.
"Well then, let's load up and head out. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can eat." Daniel answered with a grin.
"That wouldn't be Texas BBQ would it?" The Agent asked casually, not trying to interrupt.
"Oh yeah! And he'll make a brisket so tender it'll fall apart on a fork." Maigan said grinning widely.
"Really? That sounds pretty good." The Agent said easily.
"Well then stop on by the base tomorrow and I'll have a plate for you." Daniel replied. "In the meantime we got a bunch of stuff to do, so we'll catch up with you later." He continued as he got back into the former Decepticon.
Author's notes. I would like to express my deepest and most sincere apologies for not updating sooner! I will freely admit that I was stuck as far as what to do, and where to go with a certain scene in this chapter. Therefore, I would like everyone to say thanks to Vader's Bane for helping me out.
PS. The next chapter is in progress and will hopefully be out much sooner than this one was, again sorry for the wait.
