Chapter Fifteen
...
Welcome to Montana-The Treasure State
The sign, mounted proudly on a hill beside the interstate, brought a tingling sensation through Mira's body that she could only discern as excitement. Her eyes scanned the horizon, seeing nothing but rolling hills and stretches of pavement leading into the grand state. She wondered where Bryce was and how far they were from the other Autobots.
She wondered what would happen when they reunited, if there would be mounted hostility and hesitancy? Mira prayed that there would be memorial peace that they once had shared as a team, as friends. She loved the Autobots as if they were her family; they were her family. She couldn't bear the thought of them being angry with her and having to start all over; reestablishing new trust and friendship. The thought brought waves of emotionally turmoil through her.
Cade sat proudly in the driver's seat, eyes on the horizon as well. Mira concluded that he was a good man; he was strong and had spunk, but he was wise. She liked his upbeat and optimistic personality; the way his eyes sparkled when he had a challenge. He'd vowed to take apart the Baretta when they met up with Bryce and he could have a stable work station, and she could tell by the way he set his jaw and his eyes sprinkled with life that he meant it to his very core. She watched him a moment, eyes shaded by his ball cap; he was very much unlike Will, but at the same time he carried a strange familiarity, one that intrigued her. She realized her heart-rate had picked up and she quickly shifted in her seat to find Tessa absorbed with the outside world rolling by in a small window beside her.
The girl had grief, but strength. She was very grown-up for her age, Mira decided; and very well advanced in the ways of the world. The death of a mother had to have brought maturity in its wake: this girl had to learn everything about life either by herself, or through a man's perspective. Mira was suddenly extremely grateful for her mother, and silently praised for Tessa for her maturity, and grace. She couldn't imagine a life of just growing up with a man to teach you the ways of the world. Tessa had turned out a raging beauty, and she and life and zest.
Merrick, on the other hand, was busy with a coloring book which had obviously made its way into his backpack of treasures. The picture was of a muscle car, predominately blue with green pinstripes, and he was feverishly working on the tires and windshield in a deep black. Tongue placed between his lips in deep concentration, he was the epitome of youthful innocence and curiosity. Mira realized there was a bit of child within him still, and that grief had not entirely overtaken her small man in the making. A small smile pulled at her lips, and she reached up to touch the Shield, which had resolved to keep a warmth in the presence of its keeper, Optimus Prime.
"You really worry about that thing, don't you?" Cade asked from beside her, genuinely. Mira could almost feel Optimus perk up at the question, feeling the electrifying tension of his awaiting her response fill that atmosphere, and her being. She looked out the windshield, then rested her arm along the window, tapping her fingers against the black vinyl, then slowly running her fingertips down the smooth, updated interior before she nodded slightly and gave Cade a look, which raised his brows, surprisingly.
"It's my job to worry about the Shield. If I didn't, well, then I wouldn't be a very good charge then, would I?" Cade smiled at her and Tessa unbuckled, then knelt between their two seats and looked at the device around Mira's neck at mention of the topic.
"It's beautiful," she said, "Is it really that small?"
Mira removed the Shield from around her neck and fingered it between her thumb and index finger before extending it to Tessa. Optimus, for the first time in awhile, lighted the radio-a very advanced system that looked straight out of a science fiction novel, and replied to Tessa's question. "No," he began, "the Shield, in equivalence to Cybertronian's, is by right a larger size," Mira nodded in agreement, "but since humans are a great deal smaller than my people, the Shield...configured itself into a more manageable size."
Mira touched Tessa's shoulder, the comfort the girls obvious loss of understanding, "In English it means it transformed down to my size," she touched it with a fingertip.
Tessa nodded in understanding, "Cool." She handed it back to Mira, and she extended it to Cade, as he was eyeing it the entire conversation, "isn't it cool, Dad?"
He nodded slowly, "It's warm,"
Mira smiled, "That's because its energy senses the Matrix of Leadership nearby-which resides within Optimus' sparkchamber."
He examined it awhile longer before Optimus broke the silence, "We've received a transmission from Hound," he referenced an Autobot who'd traveled to Earth after the Chicago War, an older mech stuck in the Ancient Wars; preferring primitive fighting tactics than the more updated ones Optimus often used. He was a all-guts-no-glory, all-braun-no-brains type of fighter; trigger happy and dirty-mouthed. Some would go so far to say that Hound was foil, but his loyalty and strength to the Autobot cause was genuine; and Mira respected him for his bravery. "and coordinates from Bumblebee,"
Mira smiled and shifted her weight in the seat excitedly, "About time!" she stated, overdramatically, "let's hear the transmission."
Optimus played the transmission through the radio, the loud revving of an engine and rumblings of a Defense vehicle obviously evident through the message. She could almost see the rumbling giant now; a mess of mass weight and weapons, rolling on less than gracefully.
" 'Ey, Princess, haven't heard your pretty voice for awhile! 'Bout time you made yourself known," everyone was quiet until they decided to chuckle, Merrick's eyes dangerously glued to the radio. He looked to Mira as the transmission continued, "...where you and the boss been hiding all this time? Assumin' you're bringing the Big Boss with you," Mira chuckled now, "We got coordinates from 'Bee, if you can believe that. Me and Dumb and Dumber here are en-route now. Couldn't keep away from the head hauncho's any longer, guess you could say. We'll see you in a bit. Hound out."
Mira reached for her phone, "Well then. Sounds like Hound has Drift and Crosshairs along with him for the ride," the thought brought laughter to her bones, and she shook her head, "that 'outta be interesting."
Optimus was all seriousness, as usual, "Bumblebee sent us coordinates from the Northern Montana Prairies," he continued, "about an hour from here. It's not too far, and it will be secluded. His energy signatures is a safe distance from any type of civilization, so we will not be noticed."
Cade settled into his seat, "Alright then. Sounds like a deal."
Mira nodded, "I'll call Bryce and tell him we have the coordinates. You doing okay, Optimus?" The entire cab's occupants looked at her as if she'd sprouted antlers, and she gave them all her best motherly look. This brought a chuckle from Optimus as the windows on all sides of the vehicle rolled down, allowing a perfect wind to catch the tendrils of curls around her face.
"That isn't even a question, Mira."
She let her hand catch on the waves of air out the window and she smiled into the side mirror, "It made you chuckle, so it was worth asking." She then dialed Bryce and put the phone to her ear.
...
Such space the Northern Montana Praires provided housed enough serenity and peace for Drift to process his inner thoughts and emotions, especially at such a moment as this. He reviewed the transmission from Miriam Lennox, the "Princess of Cybertron," as the others had started calling her, and found an odd emotion settling in the chamber of his spark, one that he had not experienced in these three years being departed from Optimus Prime and the rest of the team. It was a sensation that sent warmth spreading through his circuitry, mixed with buzzing excitement rooted deep into the Energon flowing through his being.
He found hope.
...
Crosshairs had never been one for "teamwork".
He found teamwork was annoyingly weak and needy; exceptionally pathetic and lacking; and extremely fragile to the point of frustration for that matter. It always ended up having to be protected and prolonged; and it lacked power and the requirement for strength. For some he realized teamwork required no need for brains.
He had to admit, though, he was more of a loner than most Autobots would care to admit, a trait that put him low on the chain of command, as well as the chain for operations. He didn't mind working alone. Crosshairs worked for himself first, Autobots second. His...loyalty to Optimus Prime was willed by himself; allowed only because of his long for Cybertron's restoration.
And teamwork, apparently, was what was needed to restore Cybertron.
...
Hound was not a patient mech.
He'd never claimed to be patient; patience didn't award anyone anything. It was fruitless and pointless. Patience had been what destroyed Cybertron; patience to see what would happen politically, patience to see who would arise first. Hound hated waiting, and waiting seemed to hate him too. He was okay with his lack of the quality.
Strangely though, these three years of waiting for Optimus to return was being awarded. He hated the idea of being wrong almost as much as he hated waiting. But, as fate would rear her scandelous head, he would wait for his Commander to return with battle plans and figure out what they were going to do about these hunting humans and get themselves collected.
Because Primus knew Optimus was the only one who would have a plan.
...
Optimus had not lied earlier when he'd warned them of a bumpy off-road experience.
The four of them bounced around the cab in their seats as if they were bouncy balls, Merrick loving the entire off-road ride, and Mira nothing but a laughing mess of excited hollers and encouragement. Cade and Tessa were enjoying themselves too; Mira noticed, all smiles and laughter.
Their pursuit if the Autobots rendezvous location had left them with no choice but to abandon the pavement, and take to the prairie. Optimus' truck was less than graceful as he maneuvered the hills and bumps almost expertly, his lack of geography seemingly not a problem to their journey. Mira could only laugh and shake her head as they roared on, continually gaining ground as the locator on the See-All counted down the miles, until they were inches and feet and yards.
Excitement fueled Mira like fire. It had all but taken over her body now and continually forced her heartbeat to pick up. She could only hope the others were as excited to see her. Bryce would be, she assumed, because his lack of human involvement was astounding and he would perhaps benefit from having interaction. He too hadn't seen Merrick in a great deal of time, and she hoped the boy remembered his Uncle.
Finally, on the horizon, Mira could make out a barrage of vehicles through all the bumping and bouncing movement. There were three vehicles, and one air vehicle; she assumed it was a helicopter; one of Drift's triple-changing forms. She rolled down the window and undid her seatbelt, much to the others' disapproval, and stood, sticking her head out the window and breathing in a deep breath of dust, prairie air, and freedom.
Optimus saw them too, and let out a loud, long air horn blow to call recognition to them. Mira watched as the helicopter gracefully lifted into the air and thrummed towards them quickly. The Defense vehicle and a low-profile Corvette roared out of their stationary positions, kicking up dust and rocks as they took off. One roared to the left, the other to the right, spinning cookies and making ruts. Crosshairs, the green and black Corvette, came out of a cookie in a drift, then tossed himself into a Transformation so hasty Mira was almost willing to chastise him. His Cybertronian form appeared, and he walked out of his dust cloud, bearing two guns and a look of pure and total relief to his Commander's return. His trench coat was over dramatic, as were the intensity of his optics, but Mira didn't care.
She waved to him as Optimus rumbled on towards the last stationary vehicle, another muscle car, pre '60's-a black with yellow accents Camaro, none other than Bumblebee. Crosshairs acknowledged her with a proud nod. She tossed her attention the other direction, where Hound; the hefty Defense, was transformed into his weighty frame and spitting rounds into the air at their arrival, the prairie grass seeming to wave in welcoming glory as the heavy breeze tousled it. He was laughting heartily, almost like Santa Clause at Christmastime. Mira shook her head at him and slipped back into the truck, and he saluted her respectfully. She looked out the window to the sky, where Drift was thrumming overhead of them, as if escorting them back home like royalty.
"Gangs all here," she chimed lightly, looking to the radio, "alive and well, I see."
Optimus agreed, "It would appear that way."
Merrick appeared on her lap suddenly in a flash of childish energy, hands pressing into the door, head sticking out the window. Mira grabbed him by the back of the pants and kept him stable. His excitement was evident by the redness of his cheeks and the sparkling of his eyes, and of course the trembling of his little body. His six-year-old curiosity was brought alive by his overly loud question: "Mom! You know these guys!?"
Mira laughed, "Yes, yes I do, hon." she nuzzled her nose into his hair and breathed in his scent, smiling.
The windows began to roll up and Merrick lowered himself back into her lap, with a depressed shrug. He slipped off her lap and stood between the driver and passenger seat, hands braced on the backs of both seats. Tessa was kneeling behind them, eyes forever focused on the horizon and pure awe seizing her eyes like violent captors. Cade had pushed the bill of his ballcap back on his head slightly and was staring at Drift, who'd begun to land in front of them.
"Brace yourselves," Optimus suddenly awakened the cab from their dormant captivation.
The gearshift downshifted, and the emergency brake activated, the truck's tired locking in place and the wheel rapidly turning to the left. The truck began to drift, the back end coming around to the right, kicking up dirt rapidly which crackled against the finish of the cab. Merrick was screaming with joy, both Mira and Cade's arms wrapped protectively around the child. Optimus counter-corrected, the truck slamming itself back into place and whipping them around again, using velocity to right itself. They came to a screeching hault before the Camaro, where a familiar stocky figure was leaning against the driver's side front fender, looking at his boots, less than impressed.
There was serenity a moment as the seat-belts unclicked and the doors opened. All four of them dropped out of the cab quickly, Cade bringing out the backpacks. Excitement still fueled Mira's veins like wildfire. She jogged around the front of the truck, Merrick's hand in hers, stopping when she saw Bryce. Her heart hammered at the sight of her brother and she ran for him.
"Bryce," he stood now and opened his arms for her, she doing the same and entering into his welcoming embrace. His arms enclosed around her, thick walls of protecting muscle, and he rubbed her back in brotherly affection. "I've missed you."
His deep baritone chuckled and she felt it in his chest. "I missed you too, sis." They parted and Merrick stepped between them, looking up to the monster of his uncle, who looked down and grinned toothily at him. Mira knelt behind Merrick and grabbed his shoulders gently, whispering into his ear.
"You remember your uncle Bryce, don't you?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Hi Uncle Bryce!" he sang like a canary. Bryce laughed deeply, bending to pick up the small child in his thick, well built arms. He swung the boy up and placed him on his hip and planted an overly dramatic kiss on his cheek in welcome.
"Well, hey there, Scout," he referred to Merrick with the nickname he'd given the boy upon his birth, "Look at you! You've grown at least four inches since I saw you last!" Merrick began to furiously laugh as Bryce buried his thick, calloused fingers into his tender belly in a feverish attempt to tickle the boys joy out of him. Mira stood now, laughing, and turned to look over her shoulder at Cade and Tessa. Cade his two hands placed firmly on Tessa's shoulders as he towered over her, ever the protecting pillar of protection for his girl. Mira smiled at him and jerked her head over in a gesture to come.
Cade walked around Tessa, clapped an encouraging hand on her shoulder, and they approached. Mira looked beyond them, past the truck, to where Crosshairs and Hound were still headed towards them in a slow, lumbering walk, silent. Mira turned her attention back to the group of people and looked at Bryce, who had focused on Tessa and Cade. Merrick was still in his arm, silent and watching.
"Okay," Mira sighed, "Cade, Tessa, this is my younger brother, Bryce Savage." She gestured between the two of them then on her brother, "He's an active participant in the Autobot cause." She smiled at them.
Cade nodded once firmly, and extended a hand, "Well, Mira seems to know what she's doing, so I trust you do too. Nice to meet you, I'm Cade Yeager. My daughter, Tessa."
Bryce set Merrick down to the ground, wrapping his huge hand around the boy's small one. "A friend of Mira's is a friend of mine. Nice to meet you." Then, he politely looked to Tessa and nodded, "Ma'am."
She smiled at him and nodded gracefully. "Good to meet you."
Mira then turned and faced the truck, where he still sat, dormant, waiting a reunion. Mira then extended a hand to gesture to him and then smiled at Bryce widely. "And you remember Optimus, naturally."
Bryce's eyes widened and he scratched his stubbly chin, "Well, yeah, but in such shape? Prime, holy! You...you look good, man."
The doors closed. Then there was a click, an internal shifting of gears, and then suddenly he split apart and began to transform before their very eyes. For the first time in his new form, he shifted and turned and parted and slipped, Mira's eyes following the fullness of his armor as his shape took place.
He was entirely different. His shoulders were broader and more armored, his legs thicker, face fuller. His blues were deeper, perhaps more commanding and majestic than she remembered. Optimus Prime had grown in age, stature, and appearance; he had matured here on Earth to be more of a commander than a guest-he was seasoned. His optics seemed icier; colder than they had before, perhaps with resentment? Mira's heart dropped slightly when she saw the scowl on his face, which had been somewhat evident in his voice-it took away from his handsome, honorable aura. She swallowed thickly at the intenseness the new from brought, and while she somewhat liked the physicality of his upgrades, she did not like the emotional change at all.
Optimus stepped forward and then took a knee before them, the earth rumbling as his weight hit the earth. Mira stepped backwards, as did Cade, Tessa, and Merrick. Bryce released Merrick's hand and stared up at Prime, his eyes disbelieving. Mira could see the relief, the manly affection for her mentor returning. He was intensely loyal to Optimus, and perhaps grateful for him when it came to her. His duty as brother was somewhat lessened when Optimus was around. "Optimus."
"Bryce." Optimus stated firmly. "Good to see you are well."
Bryce nodded firmly, like a man to his friend. "I am. You're looking good."
"I am well, thank you."
Mira stepped between them and looked up at Optimus. "It's good to see the family together again," she whispered to them. Both of them looked to her, then each other. Bryce then looked beyond Optimus, to the other three which had stopped slightly behind Prime. Drift had somehow taken form silently when they were busy reunioning, and stood between Hound and Crosshairs, hands atop the grip of his samurai sword as the blade dipped into the earth. Crosshairs had his arms crossed, his armor falling into a trenchcoat behind him, a smirky look on his face. Hound held a gun; the barrel resting on his shoulder, hand gripping the grip securely.
Optimus noticed Bryce stare, and stood to his full height before turning around. It was as if in slow motion on a movie screen, his turn. Optimus stopped to face his comrades; his team, his friends, a warmth spreading over Mira and sending goosebumps up and down her body. Cade stepped up beside her, Tessa on the other side of Bryce beside Merrick, reaching down to take his hand. The five of them watched, waiting.
There was silence between the Cybertronians, a reverence perhaps that was long forgotten in the absence of their leader; their Prime. The breeze on the prairie whipped the tall grass, which was knee-high to the humans, the sky an open blue above them. There was open air around them. Mira could've sworn her heartbeat was audible to the entire group, but resolved it wasn't when no one brought it up. She waited, almost on pins and needles, to see who would speak first. Realizing she was holding her breath, she silently released it and bit her lower lip in anticipation.
"Autobots," Optimus was the first to strike the air with speech. They looked to him, stiff. Bumblebee was still the Camaro Bryce had left, and Optimus looked at his form. Bumblebee, apparent of his Commander's stare, threw himself into rapid transformation. In a moment, his form took place and he stood now to the right of Optimus. He watched his Prime carefully, then blinked and then extended a hand to Optimus, as if to shake it. Optimus turned and took Bumblebee's hand and shook it once, but firmly.
"Good to see you again, Star Commander," Bumblebee communicated through the radio and internet, due to lack of vocodor, which Ratchet had failed to repair upon his death. Grief struck Mira like an arrow to the heart; if only he and Ironhide and Wreckers were here to reunite with them, oh would the heaven's have collided! She wished with everything in her they were here, but knew wishing would never bring them back; a lesson she'd learned the hard way.
Optimus gave a smile and chuckled, hand still in Bumblebee's. "It is good to see you are well, Bumblebee. It has been a long while." Then, what surprised Mira, was that Optimus pulled Bumblebee forward. Using his free hand to wrap the bot into a one-armed hug, he slapped the bot's back plating affectionately. Bumblebee stepped back when Optimus had finished, and Mira smiled at their bond. She knew Bumblebee was somewhere along the lines of Optimus' pupil, and dear friend. Perhaps a memory of innocence that had once been Cybertron.
Optimus then turned to the other soldiers, awaiting their recognition and reunion. "Autobots," he began again, "It seems fate would have us reunited yet again. I am pleased to see you all well and in good programming, for these days are dark." He stepped towards them. "I thank you for your recognition of Mira's transmission," he looked down to Mira. "As I am sure she appreciates."
Mira stepped up beside him, arms crossed over her chest. Cocking a hip slightly as she usually did, she nodded to them. "Autobots. Good to see you again."
They looked down to her. Crosshairs seemed less than pleased to recognize her presence, and looked back to Optimus after beholding her. "See you're still up and kicking, Princess. You're alive, I guess that's what matters." She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Hello to you too, Crosshairs," she muttered, then smiled at Drift, who looked at her like he was beholding a majestic rose or some other beauty. "Drift, my friend! Good to see you've survived these two ruffians," she gestured to Hound and Crosshairs, "I hope they haven't murdered your sense of zen and peace?"
He chuckled quietly, his deep voice resonating like thunder in a clear sky, "No, they have not, Miriam. They are much like fire; dangerous and destructive, but necessary." He bent at the waist to look at her and winked, "And I am strong, like the wind, which can influence the path of flame."
Mira smiled and nodded to him, reaching up to touch his goatee, which was compiled of a triangle of sparkling, Cybertronian metals. "I knew you'd keep them reigned in, ninja."
He stood. "Just as I knew you would watch over Optimus." He looked to Prime and nodded, "Sensei."
Optimus nodded to him as well, "Drift."
Mira then turned to Hound, who puffed his cigar and didn't bother to look down to her, a horrible feign of ignorance to her presence. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him, giving her best mother/senior officer stare. "Hound, after all this time you still have the gall to ignore me?"
He lowered the cigar into the corner of his mouth and looked down to her, lowering the weapon from his shoulder to bend and inspect her. "'Eyo, Princess," he whistled a cat-call type blow and she rolled her eyes. Hound had always found some sick enjoyment in playing the "she's a woman" card, "Still as pretty as ever. Howya been, doll?"
She rolled her eyes at him again, "Enough with the flattery, Hound. You know it gets you nowhere." her resolve was shattered with a smile and a chuckle when she crossed her arms in front of her, trying desperately to hold on to any remainder of her superiority.
"It gets you broilin', and that's somewhere, pretty." He took a knee, the overly round plating around his abdomen-fat, she had long ago called it-keeping him from bending any farther to see her at optic-level, "Howya been, Mira?"
She spun on her heel. "Good. I see you're well." She turned back to Optimus and jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the three of them and sighed, "Look at these guys, they haven't matured at all." Optimus gave her a small smile and then Bumblebee stepped into their reunion circle. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him and then turned to face him full-on. Smiling wildly at him, Bumblebee's brows rose and joy beamed through his optics.
"Well I'll be," he changed channels, "How...are you...beautiful?" Unable to find her name, as usual, he referred to her with the adjective she liked best. It sounded genuine from Bumblebee, even if it was a radio broadcast, because it was met with genuine optics and an always curious face which only Bumblebee could pull off.
She laughed, "I'm fine, Bumblebee. Yourself?"
He clapped his hands and then waved her off, shaking his head as if to say "don't worry about me". She smiled at him and nodded in understanding. Then, she faced her family and newfound friends, who were all awe-inspired face in the presence of new Autobots and allies. Merrick, she noticed, had entered the middle of the half circle, staring up at all of the new, unfamiliar bots with wide eyes and an open mouth, agape with wonder and disbelief. Mira hurried to his side and stood behind him, hands on his shoulders, and gently pulled him back to rest against her legs. Looking up to the Autobots, she smiled at them and then ruffled Merrick's hair.
"Guys," she said carefully, "you remember Merrick?"
Crosshairs wrinkled his nose, "Yeah. He was a little...ball of wetness last time I saw him." Drift gave him a disapproving stare and socked him a little roughly in the shoulder. Crosshairs glared at him and shifted his weight on his feet. "Well, he was!"
"Don't be rude," Drift said carefully, "he is the son of our blossom, remember." Drift then turned to Merrick and stepped forward, the ground trembling. Sheathing his sword in his back plating, he took a knee before Merrick and extended a hand for the boy. Merrick just stared at him and then the hand, then looked up at Mira. She smiled and nodded, releasing him.
He stepped forward, tenderly, as if Drift was a snake going to strike him. Then, finally, he touched Drift's hand with his own and looked into the face of the samurai, who was nothing but a gentle mech, as if he were tending to a blossom instead of a boy. Drift then gestured with his head to his hand and wiggled his fingers impatiently, almost excitedly, "Climb up, boy. Let me be the one to introduce you to those you may have forgotten."
Merrick looked to Mira, who nodded again. "He won't drop you, I promise," she whispered dramatically, wrinkling her nose and waving him on. She gave a look to Optimus, who smiled at her as if he was the father. Mira then looked up as Drift carefully helped her son into his palm, where his legs came up under him so he was sitting on his knees. She swallowed in anticipation and her heart hammered...Will would've been proud to witness this moment.
Suddenly, Cade stepped up beside her. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched, then leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Friends, right?"
She nodded. "An understatement," she whispered back and gestured with her head. "They came after the Chicago War. They went into hiding shortly after we met. I got to know them somewhat."
"They seem...rough around the edges."
Mira snickered. "Only at first. They're mostly teddy bears when it comes to us," she shrugged, "they're wonderfully loyal and gentle. They try."
There was quiet for a moment before Drift settled into the center of the circle. Mira caught sight of Merrick's face before she was unable to see it: it was pure amazement and anticipation, and joy. She'd never seen him beam to brightly with childlike innocence and curiosity. If only Will couldn't seen him. Drift began the introductions, and Tessa and Cade perked up to catch all the names.
"Son," Drift began, as if he were going to regal them with a Japanese proverb of wisdom, "You may not remember these ones who know you through your mother," he looked down to Mira, who nodded with a smile, "but these are Autobots, friends and allies banded together again to fight beside our leader," he looked to Optimus, "and our Princess." He looked to Mira. Merrick looked down and wrinkled his brow at the nickname and shook his head.
"My mom is not a Princess,"
This sent the group in a round of chuckles, "Maybe not," Hound said with the rough gentility of a weathered and seasoned soldier of war, "but she is to us."
Merrick sighed.
Drift chuckled lightly and nodded to Hound, "That, is Hound. He is our technical specialist and weapons coordinator."
Merrick beamed. "He's huge!"
Hound frowned, the cigar in his mouth dropping. Bumblebee began to beep and quirk, and the rest of them began to laugh heartily, especially Crosshairs who reached out to slap Hound on the shoulder good-naturedly, "Just like his mother! Atta boy!"
Hound pointed a finger at the little boy, "Don't learn too much from yer ma, ya here, boy? I ain't fat-I'm built." Mira snorted and clapped a hand over her mouth quickly. Hound glared at her playfully and then waved her off. Looking to Prime, he frowned, "I can't win."
Drift sighed, "Don't take everything so personally, my friend," he then pointed to Crosshairs, "that is Crosshairs. He is a paratrooper, as well as a sniper." Merrick looked over Crosshairs a minute and smiled at him before chuckling haughtily.
"Cool."
Crosshairs seemed impressed, the winked and whipped a pointed index finger at him, "Atta boy there, young Merrick."
Mira rolled her eyes. "Great. Just what he needs."
Drift shook his head and then moved his hand in front of himself, then bowed slightly to Merrick. "I am Drift. I am an agent of reconnaissance, stealth, and espionage." Mira stepped up beside his foot and called up to Merrick.
"He's a Samurai, Merrick," she winked, "Sort of like a ninja."
Merrick's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. "Really?"
Drift nodded humbly. "Yes, your mother is correct."
Merrick did a little happy dance and pulled his arm down at his side as if pulling on a train horn, "Awesome!" Then, before Mira could put another word in edgewise, her son began to chant: "Do something! Do something!" Mira's eyes widened.
"Drift," she warned cautiously. His deliberation did not cease to play on his face, and before she knew what was happening, he turned his palm over and literally dropped her son. He began to scream and fall through the air, and Drift dropped a shoulder, rolled, and pounced back up, catching the boy gracefully as Mira began to see the white of his eyes. Her heart didn't have time to react, so she stumbled forward, stomach doing somersaults. The entire group relaxed as Drift nodded once to Merrick, who had stopped screaming and regained his composure. Drift lowered his hand and Merrick slid off, then ran up to Mira who dropped to a knee to receive him in a hug. She gave a cautious eye to Drift. The Decepticon-turned-Autobot master of swords nodded to her as if to tell her he wouldn't ever think of harming her son, much less her or any other human.
"Cool, Mom! Did you see, did you see, did you?!" He was literally jumping up and down, now overly thrilled and excitement to almost becoming a human pancake. Mira sighed and closed her eyes and nodded.
"I saw, yes."
He stopped his bouncing when he caught sight of Bumblebee, "Who's that?"
Mira smiled and turned on her knees to face Bumblebee, nodded to him and then gesturing for Merrick to approach. "That is Bumblebee. He is Optimus' lieutenant," Merrick wrinkles his brow at this, and Mira shrugged a shoulder, "he's...like a second in command," she whispered, careful so no one else would hear for fear of stirring up jealousy among the ranks. She shot a look over to Cade, smiling, and he nodded to her, giving a very cute, half smile. Her heart jerked in her chest like all women's did perhaps, and she looked away.
Merrick, then turning to her, crossed his arms and gave her a pouty-face. "And you didn't tell me any of this?"
She shrugged a shoulder, then wrinkled her brow, "Merrick Elijah-"
"He's got a point, Miriam," Bryce piped up from behind her. She tossed him a glare that told him he'd better man up and get behind his older sister as the responsible uncle. He chuckled and waved her off and took his place beside Bumblebee.
Hound was the next to speak, looking to Optimus. "So, Boss. Not to break of the family reunion...but what's goin' on? Why the big shin-dig and get together?"
Mira looked up to Optimus, who looked past him team into the horizon, the sky beginning to darken in welcoming the evening. Shades of color began to paint onto the canvas of the earth and he said nothing for a long moment. Mira stood, took Merrick's hand, and led him back over to Cade and Tessa, who were quiet in the face of introduction.
Crosshairs raised the next question, stepping towards them, then pulling out a automatic weapon and leveling it at Cade and Tessa, a scowl painting his face. Tessa gasped and took an overly rushed step back, her foot catching on a rock and sending her to her bottom in the prairie grass. Cade stepped between the gun and his daughter, and glared up at Crosshairs, who looked upset. "It'll go through both of you, don't worry." He said lowly.
Mira, surprised at his audacity, stepped between the blaster and Cade, touching the weapon and pushing it aside. Crosshairs, shooting a look to Optimus who now stared at him disapprovingly; ever reminding Crosshairs who was in charge, lowered the weapon and put it away. "Don't ever do that again, Cross," she sneered at him, "that's an order."
He looked to Prime, who looked back to the sky as if that was it. He grumbled. "Just wathchin' out for us. Princess. Humans these days..."
"Remember who you are addressing," Optimus said from his position sternly.
Crosshairs sighed. "Who are they?" He decided to cut to the chase and not get himself deeper into the hole he was already in. He eyed them cautiously and gestured to them behind Mira. "Friends of yours? Hubby? Boyfriend, what?"
Appalled, she tossed a look to Cade and Tessa and then back to him, "No. They are friends. Cade and Tessa Yeager," she gestured to them and then the other Autobots. "If you guys didn't catch them all, that's Crosshairs." she briskly moved past him and then gestured to Drift, "Drift, and Hound. Bumblebee," he nodded to the Camaro, "Bumblebee is Bryce's guardian. The rest...they are Optimus' soldiers, and most trusted friends of mine,"
Cade and Tessa nodded. "Pleasure to meet all of you," Tessa said, almost a bit sarcastically. Mira looked to Bryce, where Merrick was hugging his leg tightly, looking up to his uncle affectionately. Then she looked to Cade. He smiled at her and shrugged.
"Like I said, friends of Mira's are friends of mine. Nice to meet you guys." He waved at them in a salute and crossed his arms over his chest.
Mira chuckled, then looked at Tessa, who looked a bit frightened at the realization of their towering height, "You have nothing to fear from them..." she reassured, and her voice trailed. Then, she turned on her heel and crossed her arms across her chest and gave them her best fake-disgusted look.
"Nothing but their comments."
They all laughed.
