Thirty-Two

"Fraggit!"

That was the only response Crosshairs could give once the alarms sounded. The entire ship began commencing its lockdown. The shrill screams of the sirens were almost impossible to hear over, and Hound winced. He'd heard the anchors fire off one by one until they'd silenced, and only a fraction of a moment later Lockdown had the ship secured and scouting parties en route. Drift shot him a look that was one of concern, and hunkered down on his haunches, watching the walkways dangling above them—perfect hiding spots for snipers and aerial assaults. Hound could read his mind, but he didn't have to when Drift voiced his concerns.

"We have to get the humans off the ship," He said as calmly as possible, "this could go very badly."

Hound agreed, "Yep, I agree. Cade," he initiated the comm, but swore when he found it nothing but a static, empty line, "Slag. Lockdown must be interfering with communications."

"Perfect. Just perfect!" Crosshairs muttered. There was a sound of footfalls, then rapid ones clanging less than gracefully on the metal, as well as the computing clicks and squawks. Hound took aim, waving Drift and Crosshairs forward to circle around the Quailin and head for the exit. He raised his weapon, cut out an optic out of sheer habit, and froze when he saw the flash of yellow and black bot raising and waving his hands in the air frantically.

"'Bee!" Hound exclaimed, furious at the sight of no humans, "where is everyon—"

There was rapid gunfire behind him, and Bumblebee ducked. Hound spotted the drones, now calling off orders in Cybertronian, shouting alerts and squawking out so many computing codes Hound could hardly keep them all straight. He silenced them with a spray of his mini-gun, and then Bumblebee dashed by him. Bumblebee didn't even answer, and Hound had to assume he'd lost the humans. Crosshairs and Drift had ducked into a tunnel-like exit, waving them onward, providing cover aim in case the drones filtered in from behind. There was quiet, as the heavy door fell into a place with a clang behind them.

"Where are the humans?" Drift asked, his optics flashing with concern. Hound sighed heavily and shook his head. Mira was going to kill them all for loosing not only her human counterparts, but her creation at that. Hound could only imagine her raging fury. He, walking passed Drift, led them back down the tunnel, towards the end where it was sealed off by yet another wall. Bumblebee answered.

"That's…" he switched channels, "That's a—negative—no go, amigo." Drift and Crosshairs shared a look and Drift called down the passage.

"They humans are still out there?"

Crosshairs facepalmed sarcastically and tossed Bumblebee an accusing look, "Great job, Bumbler," he muttered. Bumblebee raised a fist to strike him, but Hound intercepted the idea with a loud protest.

"Hey! Knock off, you fraggers!" He waved them down, "We'll get the humans before we leave this blasted piece of tin," he growled, cigar wagging in his craw, "Now, we got ourselves a door here and I'll bet it's to Lockdown's sweet shop."

"What in Pit makes you think that?" Crosshairs scoffed, "For all we know this could be the dislodging chambers, or the deep matter engines, or a black hole porta—" Bumblebee silenced him to a smack up the back of his head, and Crosshairs whipped around, "Why you little fragger—" Drift grabbed his wrist before he could strike the mech. Releasing him roughly, Drift growled a warning at him. Crosshairs shut up at that.

"If you'd shut the hole in your face, you'd know why I think it's the trophy case!" Hound huffed at him, "listen." They all silenced, and Hound could make out the ever distant sound of voices behind the door. Drift got excited and flickered his optics, a smile painting onto his lips slowly. Crosshairs shrugged his shoulders, and Bumblebee clapped, and gave an excited, high-pitched chirp.

It was Mira, and Optimus.

"What's going on?" Mira screeched, sinking to her knees and slapping her hands over her ears roughly. The ringing shrieked passed her blockade and rang deeply in her senses, cementing itself in her brain. It pounded there, until she opened her eyes enough to look at Optimus. Their comms had long since stopped working, and Mira was able to read what he said by her pathetic attempts at lip-reading:

Lockdown.

That had explained why everything had sealed. He didn't mean Lockdown, their captor, but a lockdown of the ship—something had gone horribly wrong and Lockdown wasn't going anywhere. Previously they'd heard popping sounds like gunfire, and Optimus had surmised it was the secondary anchors firing off. Mira, utterly confused at the entire mess, had just been sitting on her stupid platform, every so often turning to fix her eyes on the beings that resided around them in cages all shapes and sizes.

Then there was quiet.

Mira removed her hands from her ears and looked above them, nothing really had changed. The beings had ceased rattling their cages and had opted for silence, as if something was going to happen which would be detrimental. Mira, approaching the edge of the platform, looked down again. It was unbelievably high…

But, Mira had decided to reconsider the idea. Leaning over the edge of the platform's top, she noticed the support beam was constructed much out of the metal of her Autobot friends—with gaps in the armor exposing handholds. Some of the parts were protruding meta, which could make for a climbing wall of some-kind, much like the type she would attempt at her college for PE. Her attempts had failed with a hoist, but—desperate times called for desperate measures. She had to get out of here somehow. Her intent observations had not went unnoticed, because she felt a hot glare from all sides pierce through her concentration. Raising her head to look at Optimus' cell without moving, he gave her a firm look.

"Do not even think about it, Miriam Lennox." He was entirely serious, for he used her full name, "I am serious." He emphasized it verbally.

"How else am I going to get down from here-?" She stopped when a loud bang erupted from the now fallen door which led out of the Terminus, where another followed. Everyone in the Terminus looked to the door, now rattling with life. Mira's heart stopped when she heard a stern, "Would you motherfragger's help me?!"

"Hound!" She exclaimed, pushing herself up to stand. She approached the very edge of the platform and called again, the ringing continuing, "Hound! It's Mira!"

"One...two...three-"

BOOM!

The door to Terminus, obviously hijacked, folded in on itself clumsily, unable to fold properly. They'd dented the frame, easily enough, and came lumbering through. Hound checked the corners, and stepped over the gap, as did the others. "Hound!" She exclaimed again, "Crosshairs, Drift!" She was almost jumping up and down now, beckoning them forward, "You're here!" Bumblebee came in behind them and her spirit soared, "'Bee," she put a hand to her chest, "You guys came,"

"Hurry up all of you," Optimus pushed, "It will not be long before Lockdown traces you all here!"

Crosshairs gave Mira a look, a look with a slight smile and an expression of relief, if not happiness. She chuckled and shook her head, sighing, "I didn't think you all would come."

"Of course we came," Crosshairs said with a snap, "What you'd think we were gunna leave you here?" Mira thought about rebutting the argument, but decided it was a stretch to even get a smile out of Crosshairs, much less a compliment. She let it slide, as Hound approached. Bumblebee watched the door dutifully.

Hound extended a hand for Mira, and she willingly stepped into his open palm. Freedom erupted with her, and she stumbled to her knees as relief flooded through her body. Tears began to form in her eyes, but she quickly swiped them away and scanned the floor around them. "Where's Merrick?" She looked up at him.

He met her with optics of compassion and sympathy-ones of great sorrow as well. Her stomach did a sharp drop to her toes, and she felt fear constrict her heart into a tight ball of heated muscle. Panic began to surge through her, and she paid no attention to the shattering and clanging metal before her as Drift and Crosshairs assisted Optimus. Her and Hound kept their stare locked until she asked again, daringly quiet, "Hound, where is Merrick?"

"Well, darlin'," he said nervously, shifting his weight, "I'm not exactly sure. Cade, Bryce and Tessa went lookin' for 'im-"

"You let them go alone?" Optimus interjected, disbelief flooding his voice as well as anger, "Hound,"

"I sent 'Bee after 'em!" Hound defended. He extended his hand to Optimus when Optimus gestured for him to hand Mira over as if she were an object of affection, "And Bumblebee lost track of them and now I have no fraggin' idea where any of them are."

Mira stepped between their hands and nestled herself on her knees in Prime's palm. He looked down to her and gave her a worried and petrified look, one that assured her he was not at all confident in the situation. She began to burn with rage and tremble, trying to hide it in her hands. Her voice was shaky as tears erupted from her eyes and a sob took over her vocal chords, "Merrick," she choked, "He-he's-"

"He is with Cade and your brother," Optimus said with a firm gentility which was somewhat reassuring, "two very accomplished men. They will keep him safe until we can find them." Optimus then looked to the huge cage, where two gleaming ruby eyes were focused on their now freed forms. None of them said anything, just stared. Hound approached one of the smaller cages and squatted his large form to inspect it.

"What in the name of Primus is that?" He accused, pointing at it with the barrel of his gun, "It's...festering ugliness,"

Mira warned him, "Hound, please! We have more pressing issues-"

"Hound, don't do it," Crosshairs advised.

Outstretching a hand to point at it, Hound made a revolting snort at it. Then, without warning, the thing squealed and reared back, upside-down, and squirted a bright green stream of some type of bodily fluid directly at Hound's face. Everyone in the group exclaimed at once, and Mira outright screamed when he began to howl and moan and holler, falling backwards onto his back and hitting the ground with a deafening boom. The ground began to vibrate as he swatted at the stuff. "I'm hit-I'm hit! I think it's acid!"

Crosshairs and Drift approached him, and finally Hound stopped moving. Quieting, he removed his hand from his beard, the glop of goo leaving a trail from his fingers to his facial features. Disgusted, he shook the stuff off his hand and made a gurgling noise as if he'd be sick, "Ugh-" he shuddered, standing, "It's shizzle!"

"I hope it ain't contagious," Crosshairs muttered.

"Autobots," Optimus pressed, "Now is not the time for high-jinx. We must find Merrick and the others and get off this ship," He looked around, "The arms of this knight ship detaches-there's a cockpit."

"It's a separate ship?" Mira shot him a disapproving look, "How do you-?"

He gave her an apologetic look, "Now is not the time for explanations, Miriam. That will come later," he stepped away from his prison and headed towards the door, bearing his path blaster-it quickly transformed his arm and the other Autobots began to follow. Hound got excited.

"Where your cockpit, Prime?" He asked, optics flashing, "I'm a sucky pilot, but I can give 'er a whirl." He looked around, "Right or left?"

Optimus gestured with his head, "Right. You all, come with me!" He pointed with the blaster towards the door, and he lifted his hand to his shoulder. Mira scrambled into his armor and nestled herself there, clutching to his armor with white knuckles of frustration. The comm in her ear was dead, so no communications could transmit between her, Cade, Bryce, or Merrick. Her heart trembled shakily within her chest. Hound swiftly departed from them, and the others started in a run from the ship towards the main vessel.

...

"Shhh." Cade put out an arm to halt Merrick from moving forward. He took a careful step back, finger to his lips, eyes diverted left. Tessa pulled Merrick back into her, one arm over his shoulder, the other around his middle. Bryce was behind them, watching the rear, as they slowly sank back into the shadows.

They'd made good time running down the corridors, towards the sounds of the booms. Those booms had stopped, however, and now they'd been making guesses as to where they'd gone. Now caught in a junction terminal, they'd stopped when they'd spotted a figure swirling steam just at the end.

The ship had locked down tightly-there was no way to get off. Most of the main exits had been blocked, and only the main junction terminals remained open. Cade had absolutely no idea where the Autobots were, and he had no idea how they were going to get off this ship and back on the ground-back on U.S. soil. He got a strange feeling on this ship; a feeling that he was messing with the afterlife, and he did not at all like it. His heart pounded away in his chest, causing his lungs to gasp for rapid breathing, which he denied them. He took another cautious step back. There was a break in terminal about twenty steps back, and they could squeeze in there and hide-

"Cade," Bryce said gruffly behind them, "It's clear back here. We could go back and swerve off the beaten path to the right, into that juncture we passed," he whispered, "I mean, we could wait here all day or-"

"-yeah, yeah, I like the idea," Cade said, nudging them backwards, "You all take off for the juncture and I'll watch this guy. I'll follow you back." He ruffled Merrick's hair beside him and gave him a snarky half-smile, "Run fast, kiddo." He looked to Tessa, then added, "Go."

She didn't have to be told twice, and took Merrick's hand in her own. The two of them hustled towards the end of the terminal they'd just come, Bryce not far behind. Cade followed them, turning right, and then hustled across the pathway to head into the left turn-off. Now, they were standing in a threshold, entering into a cove-like den of the ship.

The middle of the den contained a circular platform that was built into the floor, with six or seven swords stuck point down into the floor. They were about twice as big as the humans were, and to the left and right of those swords were standing figurines of Cybertronians, with their own swords, points down into the earth as well, their hands resting on the hilts. They were cold and dead, staring away like statues did, holding the attention of the humans as they marveled. Wires and cables littered the floor, some taller and thicker than any of them, and required climbing over them as if they were fallen logs. Behind the platform sat a bigger figure, this time a wall of silver colored steel gleaming behind him.

"What is this place?" Tessa asked carefully, "It's...amazing."

"It's...like a temple," Bryce confirmed, "Some type of treasure room? Armory?"

"I dunno," Cade gestured for Bryce to help him lift Merrick onto the platform, "But see if there's anything up there, buddy, that could get us some leeway." They lifted him up, Merrick grabbing onto one of the hilts to pull himself the rest of the way. Now standing in the middle, hand still on the hilt, he looked around.

"This is awesome," he breathed, stepping forward. He hadn't watched, however, and stumbled over one of the thicker cables that wound in between the swords on the platform. With his falling forward, he triggered something, and the sword he'd been clinging too fell into place towards the left, triggering a mechanism that clunked deep in the inner workings of the room.

Instantly the room came alive around them. The figures split into different parts and began folding in on themselves, burying into the floor. The walls behind them split also and began to convert down, as if a door had been dropped away and exposed an inside chamber. The walls, no obviously cases, bore an array of hand held weapons and guns and swords of any type one could imagine. Merrick scrambled off, watching as the figures disappeared seemingly flawlessly, as if this had all been dreamed.

Cade hurried them all to the wall, eyes fixed on the selection of weapons. He released Merrick's hand, approached the wall, and reached up for a smaller sized sword-looking dagger. Fixing it off the wall, he held it in his hands and tested the weight-it must've been light, because he didn't complain. "This-" he pointed at it as he handed it to Bryce, "This is wicked." He took another from the wall, dropping the backpack from his shoulder and handing it to Tessa.

"You don't seriously think you're using that, do you?" She asked, gawking, "I mean dad-" Cade's eyes, however widened behind her and he threw himself against her, grabbing Merrick's wrist as they went flying through the air behind the sword platform. Bryce ducked in beside them as an array of gunfire shattered against the wall behind them in an array of colliding sparks. Tessa screamed, covered her head, and Merrick nestled against Cade, the alien gun's weight now resting against his wrist as he balanced it. He shot Bryce a look, and he peeked up over the edge.

"It's some mini-drone type things," Bryce wrinkled his nose, "and they're loaded with mini guns."

"Great," Cade released Merrick's wrist, pushing him towards Tessa a bit. He turned to lean against the platform, scanning in between the huge swords for the drones, who had parked themselves smack dab in the middle of the exit to the terminal. "That's so sweet of 'em."

"Well, we got one shot," Bryce sighed, "Not even, really. How will we get close enough with stab these guys with these things?" He scanned over his weapons, "I mean, for alien tech, you'd think they'd just make everything able to shoot something instead of going primitive with blades!"

"There's gotta be-something-" Cade looked over his blade, and situated it in his hands, the points pointing out towards the drones. Then, without warning, he accidentally dropped it into the platform, him squatting on a thick black cable, and the blade suddenly spit to life with an array of gunfire popping loudly around them. Cade ducked, covering Tessa and Merrick, and Bryce dropped back down behind the platform and pressed his back against the cool metal. The gun stopped after the squeaks and shrieks ended. They smelled hot metal on the air and some type of smell they couldn't place.

"Cool!" Merrick exclaimed, Cade grabbing the gun again. He got up, both he and Bryce circling around the platform, swords-now-turned-guns pointed towards the exit. The floor began to tremble now, like an earthquake, and they all panicked, heading back the way they'd come. They froze when they heard familiar voices.

"They may have gone back where we came in," Crosshairs was saying. Hope flickered into Cade as he hurried down the terminal, gun at hand, hardly able to stay upright as the shaking became greater as they grew closer. His heart began to rejoice as he saw their shadows growing in size. That hope was shattered when gunfire erupted just outside their terminal, showering over the exit and hitting the wall across from them. All four of them froze, Cade and Bryce readying themselves. Tessa and Merrick huddled behind them, until the shadows rapidly began to bob and they heard a very loud and clear order strike the air with force.

"Into the armory terminal! Go, go, now!" There was cover fire now, heavy, as the footfalls were so hard and heavy that they couldn't stand. Cade went tumbling down first as the first figure dashed around the corner-a black and yellow Bumblebee who skidded to a halt upon sighting them. He began to quirk and clitter, running toward Bryce with excited optics and a smile, until Bryce managed to stumble halfway to him. Bumblebee dipped his hand down and Bryce fell into it.

"Hey-" His frequency switched, "little buddy!...look...who I...look who I found!" The radio finally quieted as Crosshairs and Drift practically skidding into the terminal, followed by Optimus, who was providing cover fire. He straightened, satisfied the threat was now exterminated, before turning around.

"Cade! Bryce!" Drift exclaimed, obviously relieved and excited all rolled into one, "We were just coming to find you all," He took a knee before Merrick, who hustled towards him and wrapped his little arms around the samurai's thumb. Drift got a cheeky smile on his face and lifted the boy into his hands, "And you are safe, young one?"

"Yeah," Merrick said.

"Merrick!" This drew the boys attention, and he rapidly scanned the bots' shoulders for any sight of the familiar voice of his mother. He settled upon Optimus, where Mira was standing now, Optimus helping her onto his palm. He gently placed it against the floor, and Mira stepped off. Drift did the same and she practically attacked him in a hug, throwing herself to her knees with a clang. Her body trembled against him as she almost clawed her fingers into his shoulder blades. Merrick held on just as tightly, face nuzzled in her fallen curls. She was crying; her chest heaving. "Oh, Merrick!" she exclaimed, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus," she said over and over. Finally, Merrick pulled away and smiled at her.

"I'm okay, Mom," he said, shrugging a shoulder. She cupped both hands around his cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss. She kissed him over and over until he wiped them off his face and stepped back, shaking his head, "MOM! Not in front of everyone!"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me," she said lightly, swiping at her own teary mess, "I thought I was never going to see you again, Merrick Elijah." She stood, pulling him towards her again, and opened an arm to receive Bryce. The big man was relieved and fell into his sisters embrace, wrapping thick arms around her, the gun at his side. The Autobots were just staring, until Bryce pulled away.

"Glad to see your still alive,"

"Same to you, little brother," he rubbed her forearm and she looked to Cade and Tessa. Stepping towards them, she wrapped Tessa in a hug and rubbed the girls back, who was shaking horribly, "Your a tough girl, Tessa Yeager. Thank you." She pulled back and smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind Tessa's ear, before turning to Cade. He had the gun braced against his wrist, and let it drop down slack as she approached him. They locked eyes, and Mira's resolve dropped, as did Cade's. He felt entirely exposed, and felt his pulse pick up when she took another step closer to him. Heat began to flare through his abdomen as she took another and stopped. "You protected my family, and I thank you, Cade." She said with a smile. Then, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and Cade found himself at a loss except to hold her back with one arm. He felt...relief. Happiness. Contentment, there in her arms. "I'm glad your safe," she whispered.

"I'm glad your okay too," He said quietly back.

There was a interrupting cough, which came from Crosshairs, "Hate to break up this reunion, humans, but we gotta jet." He looked over his shoulders, "They'll have us pinned down."

"Not quite yet," Optimus stated. He stepped past the humans and towards the platform, staring at it as he walked by to the back wall where Cade had found his gun. "There is much here I have forgotten, but much I have remembered. I believe these will be...beneficial." He reached high on the wall, removed something, and turned, it resting in his hands. Locking eyes with Mira, he extended a hand, and wiggled his index finger for her to come, "Mira. Step forward."

"Optimus," she said, confused. Instantly, the Shield came to life with an array of light and heat, and she quickly removed it from her chest, for it was searingly hot against her skin. Confused and somewhat startled, she gave him a wrinkled brow, "Optimus, what's happening-?"

"The time has come for you to use the Shield for a purpose far greater than what you have anticipated," he took a knee before her and cupped his hands around the object. Instantly, the thing began to transform down, into a small cylinger type shape. Mira wrapped her hand around it and locked eyes with Optimus.

"I don't understand,"

He chuckled, giving her a half smile. "And you do not need to. For this;" he pushed it towards her until she took it from his palm, "this has been your destiny, since our paths have crossed so long ago. With this you shall take your rightful place with us Autobots, a warrioress of the stars; a Keeper of the Shield of the Matrix of Leadership."