Disclaimer: I do not own TFP
Chapter 14 – To Greece!
It was just an average day for Eli. Just another evening of soccer practice, her team was taking turns practicing on shooting on the goal as she tried to block them. She was holding her own very well.
"Keep it up Eli!" her head coach hollered from the side lines. The coach looked at her watch and noticed that time had flowing by, and practice was nearly over. "Alright girls! Gather around!" Everyone stopped and made their way over.
"We are doing good, a few could use a little more practice. I need you all to pace yourselves, don't overwork yourself." The coach went on. "We have one last game before the state finals, thanks to our good team work and Eli for holding her own out there. Now go home and rest up." The coach ended the pep talk and everyone dispersed.
Eli made her way over to her bag and started to pack everything up when a few of the girls approached her.
"Hey, Eli. We are getting later on; do you want to come join us?" one the girls asked. Eli froze for a second, she really wanted to join them and hangout with her friends on the team, but she also had to be around an Autobot at all times. Eli needed to come up with a clever lie. "Ah sorry, I can't. My sister needs me home to help with somethings around the house."
"Ah, alright. Maybe next time." The girl said, both the girls had looks of disappointment on their faces as they walked away. Eli sighed in frustration then she heard the rumble of Bulkhead who was going to be her ride for the day. She made her way up from the field to Bulkhead's vehicle mode, the backseat door opened immediately and was greeted by Bulkhead and loud music. Bulkhead turned down the music as Eli hopped in.
"How was practice?" Bulkhead asked.
"It was good." Eli said, but Bulkhead could sense there was something off about her tone of voice.
"Are you sure?" Bulkhead asked.
Eli sighed again in frustration. "I-I just wish I could hang out with my soccer team more. I get it that the four of us need to be protected any everything…but sometimes it just sucks. No offense." Eli finally had admitted her feelings, she didn't ever think she would voice them to one of the bots, but Bulkhead seemed like he could handle the hard truth.
"I understand Eli." Bulkhead said, and then Miko showed up in the front seat and Bulkhead turned up the music a bit and started to rock out with Miko which just brought a small smile to Eli's lips. Bulkhead then turned the music back down and started to question Miko's early appearance.
"Detention couldn't have been over that quick." Eli said.
"Miko, I thought you had a history report to do. Did detention end early?" Bulkhead added.
"Did for me." Miko added with a bit of a smug smile on her face as she buckled herself in. Miko then peered through one of the side mirrors and noticed the teacher was outside looking for Miko. "Uh-oh. Here comes teacher, and she doesn't look happy."
"Oh great." Eli face palmed. "I'm with a run away."
"Step on it, Bulkhead!" Miko shouted trying to hide.
"Ah, Miko." Bulkhead groaned and drove off into the distance.
Eli sat in silence as Bulkhead continued on back to base where the others were awaiting them. She just listened as Bulkhead tried to lecture Miko about her future.
"Miko, I'm supposed to be your guardian, not your getaway car." Bulkhead argued.
"Here, here." Eli added which she just earned a glare from Miko.
"You can't just cut detention," Bulkhead continued. "What if your parents found out?"
"They live in Tokyo, remember?" Miko explained. "And don't even worry about my host parents. I think I scare them."
"You scare me sometimes." Eli muttered. Then she received a text message from Leonie. She opened up the message and read.
"Sorry I won't be home for a while. My trip got extended. You know the drill, don't do anything stupid!"
Eli sighed again, Bulkhead and Miko didn't pay much attention to Eli as Bulkhead was still lecturing Miko. Then they arrived at base, Bulkhead opened both doors and waited for them to hop out. Eli quickly grabbed her bag and made her way up the mezzanine.
"Uh-oh, what'd you do?" Jack asked Miko.
"She ditched detention." Eli said as she plopped down on the couch and closed her eyes. Before Eli could even get a break Ratchet's computer started to beep. "And breaks over, what's up now." Eli muttered to herself.
"I'm detecting a fresh energon pulse from the nation called…Greece," Ratchet said as his computer zoomed in on the location. "An ancient city – quite historic, I believe."
"Oh, it is very historic! I love the ancient stories!" Eli exclaimed in excitement with her now doom and gloom gone.
Bulkhead looked at Eli, then at the computer and down at Miko. He had a brilliant idea to help with both girl's situations. Miko needed to her history report done and Eli needed something to cheer her up. "Ancient Greece, huh? Oh, field trip." Bulkhead said.
"Hey Eli, Miko? How would you two like to go to Greece?" Bulkhead asked.
"Really!?" Eli almost practically screamed making Ratchet scoff and shake his head in annoyance. "Sorry Ratchet." Eli said as she calmed herself down.
Bulkhead transformed into vehicle mode and both girls hopped in as Ratchet punched in the coordinates to the ground bridge. The three of them finally arrived in Greece in no time, Eli instantly hopped out of car and was looking around in awe.
Miko hopped out following suit. "Sweet!" She looked down below and saw a bunch of ruins. Eli was looking over the scene before her and was in utter shock that she was actually in Greece.
"So, what are we doing in Greco-ville?" Miko asked.
"I'm scouting energon. You're doing research for your history report." Bulkhead said as he brought out a handheld scanner.
"You punked me, Bulk? Not cool. Then why is Eli here?" Miko complained.
"Because I love Greek history. I can help you if you want?" Eli offered. "I mean just look at this architecture and the art that goes with it." Miko just looked at her as if she was crazy.
"You're a nerd." Miko said and left Eli following Bulkhead.
"Rude much." Eli added as she followed behind them as Bulkhead was getting closer to the ruins. "
"Hmm. Signals strong. An excavation site." Bulkhead said as she scanned the area.
"Whoa." Miko said as she followed Bulkhead's line of sight.
"I know construction. According to my scanner, humans hit energon veins, and they don't even know it." Bulkhead added.
"You know I still don't understand how or why energon found its way on earth." Eli said then she noticed that there is a mural, a mural of what is the question. "Bulkhead." Eli said and pointed to the mural down below.
"Whoa." Bulkhead said as his eyes widened in realization.
"Exactly!" Eli said with excitement. "That doesn't look like it belongs on earth."
Bulkhead then realized what the item was in the mural, "That's cybertronian."
"And the stories get even more mysterious and awesome." Eli said excitedly. "Miko if you really like destruction and what not, I'm going to let you borrow one of my Greek mythology books."
"Sounds boring." Miko said with a sigh of annoyance.
"No, you don't understand. Take Medusa for example…" Eli said but was cut off.
"Who is Medusa?" Miko asked.
"Let me finish. Medusa was this woman who had snakes for hair and if anyone looked her in the eye they turned to stone." Eli explained then she saw the sparkle of interest in Miko's eyes.
"Are there other gruesome stories?" Miko asked curiously.
"Are kidding loads of them!" Eli exclaimed. Eli and Miko had finally started to find something in common with one another. Eli had managed to actually start getting Miko hooked onto something a bit more interesting rather than heavy metal music. "There are Greek Gods and Goddess and everything."
"Cool," Miko said. "I think I will have to borrow that book."
The two had finished speaking when Bulkhead was still analyzing the mural down below. Eli quickly brought out her phone and took a picture of it.
"Why would ancient Greeks paint an energon harvester?" Bulkhead asked.
"Greeks were heavily influenced by the Gods and Goddess, they probably thought Zeus sent it to them as a gift of sorts." Eli replied.
"You know what that round thing is?" Miko asked. You're smarter than you let on." Miko then brought out her phone and took a picture of the mural as well.
"But even dumber than he looks." Said a different voice. Eli turned around and there before them was a Decepticon.
"Breakdown." Bulkhead said as he took a few steps as the girls stood behind him.
"Miss me?" Breakdown chuckled.
"Like rust in my undercarriage." Bulkhead said as he braced knowing fair well there was something about to go down. Eli wasn't stupid she noticed that too. She grabbed Miko's arm and pulled her back a bit. She wasn't going to have a repeat of what happened with the imposter.
"You know this lunkhead?" Miko said as she tried to pry Eli off of her arm.
"Shut up Miko." Eli muttered.
"We have a history." Bulkhead replied without taking his sight off of Breakdown.
"And you have two pets." Breakdown said as he picked up a pillar and chucked it towards Miko and Eli. "Catch."
Miko and Eli saw the pillar zooming towards them. Eli and Miko tried to run out of the way, but Bulkhead had jumped in the way of the pillar. The pillar broke into dust and chunks. "Miko, Eli, stay down!"
Eli and Miko had crouched down then saw Breakdown charged at Bulkhead through the dust and they flew off into the mural destroying it. Eli and Miko got up and looked down as Breakdown then transformed and drove off leaving them there. The two girls then ran down to where Bulkhead laid in the heap of rubble that once was the mural.
"Told you I'm good at breaking things." Bulkhead said.
"You alright Bulk?" Eli asked.
"I'm good." Bulkhead replied.
"I always have your back, Bulk. Got us a picture of the picture." Miko said. "Me too." Added Eli as they both showed Bulkhead the photos on their phones.
"Thanks, you two. Now let's get back and show this to Ratchet and the others." Bulkhead said and he called for a ground bridge. The ground bridge portal appeared in front of them and all three walked through greeted by Ratchet and the others.
Miko and Eli quickly showed Ratchet the photos they took of the mural while Optimus determined that the beacon is an energon harvester. "It is indeed an energon harvester – a powerful tool created by the ancients to remove raw energon from any source."
"Greek gods knew Autobots?" Raf asked.
"No. The ancients often used the art of a given era to conceal messages. This fresco was likely a signpost indicating a harvester's location hidden somewhere on this planet." Optimus added.
"Uh, Optimus, if the harvester removes energon from anything, and you all have energon pumping inside you…" Jack asked the most daring and serious question of all.
"In Decepticon hands, the harvester would be a devastating weapon." Optimus confirmed.
"See? You were a genius to total that painting." Miko said to Bulkhead trying to cheer him up.
"Miko's not wrong. How can the 'cons find the harvester without the fresco?" Arcee added.
"With high-speed internet." Raf said making everything feels tons worse even making Arcee flabbergasted.
"If you do an image search for "Greek God" and "Golden Orb," this pops up." Raf said as she showed an image of a statue in a museum holding the orb.
"I've been to that museum as a kid. Eli said.
"That the real deal?" Arcee asked as she looked up to Optimus.
"Contact Agent Fowler." Optimus said. They immediately tried calling him only to get to his voice mail.
"I hate talking to machines." Ratchet said.
"I hate to break it to you Ratchet, but technically you are a machine." Eli said only to earn a scoff in return.
"Without Agent Fowler's direct aid, we will have to confiscate the harvester on our own." Optimus said.
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, "confiscate"?" Jack sputtered in disagreement. "As in steal museum property?"
"That sounds…Illegal." Raf added.
"And sounds like our only option." Eli added.
"I do not wish to break human law, but once the Decepticons learn of the harvester's location, they will not hesitate to obtain it by any means necessary. We must act covertly." Optimus tried to explain to Jack.
"Jack that means people could die; they could die if the Decepticons get it before we do." Eli argued.
Jack looked around at them all but was still hesitant on the idea. "Okay, n-no offense, Optimus, but covertly and giant robots don't really go together. Museums are public. A-and they have guards and security cameras." Jack explained.
"Jack is right though. Some of those objects are hundreds of years old and worth a fortune." Eli added.
"No problem! We're small enough to sneak in. And we are not a government secret." Miko added surprising Jack as she jumped around him pointing her finger in the air.
"No! I'm not going to become a criminal with you. You ditching detention is what started all of this!" Eli argued.
"Miko I'm not sure that's wise." Bulkhead added.
"But it may be our best option, Bulkhead," Optimus said which made Eli and Jack surprised that Optimus himself is condoning them to go on a heist. "The longer we debate, the more time we give the Decepticons.
"We have officially gone off our rockers." Eli muttered. The Autobots had worked out their plan. The bots would surround the building in vehicle mode while Jack, Miko, Eli, and Raf would wait for another ground bridge and would end up inside the museum on a cart that would raise them up to the height of the statue.
"Well, it's the best plan we got." Eli shrugged in defeat. Optimus and the others had left through the ground bridge, and they waited in silence waiting for the signal from Optimus.
"Jack, Miko, Eli, Rafael, I will have a clear view of you. Once you secure the harvester, I will contact Ratchet to bridge you back to base." Optimus said through the computer. Ratchet then pulled the lever activating the ground bridge.
"Now, since you'll bypass all points of normal entry, you won't need to worry about setting off the alarm. But take care to avoid any security guards." Ratchet said. The four of them nodded in agreement and understanding. Jack then moved the cart through the portal, and they appeared inside the museum.
"Alright, Eli since you've been here you'll be in charge of the layout." Jack said.
"On it," Eli replied. "You can't really miss it though, it's a small museum and there is only one large statue." The others then looked through the large windows that basically was the wall and outside sat Optimus in his vehicle mode watching.
"Opa!" Miko whispered as she stared above at the golden orb.
"That's high." Raf gulped.
Optimus then flashed his headlights indicating to them that the coast was clear to go and grab the orb. Jack then pushed a button, and the cart began to lift them up closer to the orb. Right above their heads is a security camera. Miko then took a picture of the angle that the camera was aiming and placed her phone to cover the camera so that nothing seemed suspicious.
"And this is why I believe she is going to become a mastermind thief." Eli muttered.
Jack then pushed the cart a bit further so that they could reach the orb. Eli then glanced out the window and saw that a vehicle was approaching Optimus. "We got company." Eli whispered. No one seemed to hear her as they tried to push the orb out of the statues hand. "We need to hurry up."
"It's cons." Raf whimpered.
"They got Optimus." Jack added.
"And we need to move it." Eli urged as she looked worriedly toward Optimus as Knockout was electrocoating him with a staff of some kind.
Breakdown then started to drive toward them as if he was going to crash through into the museum. They all stood there in terror; Bee then came drive toward him only for him to shoot a rocket at Bee making him crash into Arcee as she came from the other side of Breakdown. Bulkhead then came from above and charged at Breakdown only for him to punch Bulk into Knockdown which both of them crashed through into the museum.
The alarm started to go off making Eli and the others start to get more anxious. "Alright, we need to move it pronto." Eli kept urging and helped Raf push the orb into the cart. Jack lowered the cart back down to the ground.
"Come on. Time to make our exit, Boys." Miko said pointing to the hallway where they had come through from the portal. Miko had jumped out of the cart and ran ahead to check to see if the coast was clear. Jack followed Miko with the cart while Raf and Eli held the orb in place from rolling around. Miko then spotted a garage door and opened it and ran outside only to be caught by the security guard.
"Stop!" Eli whispered as they had almost turned around the corner. Eli had spotted that Miko was caught by the security guard. Jack, Eli, and Raf had watched as the security guard had thrown Miko into his office and closed the door behind him.
"Not good." Jack said as the door was closed leaving the three of them alone.
"We need to get out of here now." Eli urged. Then they noticed that a bot was coming up to the half-opened garage door. It looked like it was Arcee to the rescue. "Arcee!" Jack said.
Jack, Eli, and Raf walked up to the garage door only for them to stop as they got closer and noticed that it didn't look like Arcee at all. "Um, that's not Arcee." Eli said as she slowly started to back up. Soundwave then opened up the door the rest of the way startling Jack and Raf.
"It's Soundwave." Raf gulped.
"We're screwed." Eli gulped in return.
Soundwave just walked past them and grabbed the orb and quickly left. Optimus had finally gotten up off the ground and looked up to the sound of Soundwave leaving with the orb beneath him.
"Mm. That would be game." Knockout said then transformed and drove off with Breakdown following behind him leaving the Autobots. Arcee and Bee tried to chase after them only to stop in their tracks to Jack, Eli, and Raf.
"The cons have the harvester!" Jack yelled.
"And security has Miko!" Raf added as they came around the corner of the building.
"What?" Bulkhead exclaimed. "I'm going in after her."
"No, you can't do that!" Eli yelled.
"Bulkhead, Eli is right. Miko may be detained, but she is safe from harm." Optimus said.
"Maybe we can try Agent Fowler and he can get her out of there?" Eli suggested.
Optimus then radioed for Ratchet to send a ground bridge. They then transformed into vehicle mode as the ground bridge appeared at the end of the parking lot. Optimus opened his passenger side door for Eli. She climbed in quickly and they made their way back to base. Once they got back to base the three teens made their way up to the mezzanine while the others then went out searching to where ever Starscream was with the harvester.
Optimus however needed Bulkhead to stay behind. "Bulkhead, it is best that you remain here."
"So, I can bust Miko out of the museum?" Bulkhead asked eagerly.
"So, you can help Ratchet," Optimus said shooting Bulkhead's idea down. "You may be Miko's guardian, but she requires human assistance. Agent Fowler remains her best option."
Bulkhead watched as Optimus drove off through the ground bridge leaving Bulkhead with Ratchet and the others. Raf went ahead and kept trying to contact Agent Fowler at his little desk with Eli next to him sketching.
"He's not going to answer." Eli muttered.
"Still no answer." Raf said looking towards Bulkhead.
"Hey Bulk, I can tell you the Greek Mythology stories to pass the time?" Eli offered.
"Fowler's lounging around some poolside cabana." Bulkhead said angrily ignoring Eli and slammed his fist breaking another one of Ratchet's tools which made Ratchet irrupt in rage. "Bulkhead! I needed that!"
"We can free Miko. If we can just return that harvester to the museum." Bulkhead sputtered out loud.
"So, the Decepticons can steal it all over again?" Ratchet asked still seething with rage but trying to calm down.
Bulkhead stood there in silence trying to think of how to get Miko out. Eli sighed in annoyance. "I am so dumb!" Bulkhead exclaimed in frustration as he placed his hands on the back of his head.
"So, how are we going to help Miko?" Jack asked.
"By returning this replica to the museum," Ratchet said as he held up a half-finished orb. "The construction of which would be going a whole lot faster if Bulkhead hadn't just mangled my frame welder!" Ratchet yelled.
"We're already trespassers and thieves. Why not add forgery to the list?" Jack said.
"We can add it when Ratchet can finish it." Eli whispered to Jack and Raf so that Ratchet didn't over hear her.
"I wish I'd never taken Miko to the – the painting of the harvester isn't the only thing we found at those ruins." Bulkhead said as he had a light bulb moment.
"I'm sorry?" Ratchet asked as he didn't quite follow.
"Starscream is not dumb. No matter what kind of tool he has, he's gonna take the easy route." Bulkhead said.
"Wait, you mean he is going back to the site of the mural?" Eli asked.
"Exactly!" Bulkhead said.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked.
Eli looked at the others and began to explain. "While we were there we discovered an excavation site." Then Bulkhead added in. "The humans didn't know they were digging up energon in those ruins. That's where Starscream is going to be."
The others contemplated this, "Ratchet I need you to send me there. It will be too late to send the others." Ratchet didn't bother arguing for he knew what was at stake.
OOO
While Bulkhead went to stop Starscream while Ratchet contacted the others to come back for back up Eli and Raf took the liberty of trying to blow up Agent Fowlers phone. And finally, they got through to him.
"Why was my phone blown up!" Agent Fowler shouted at Raf and Eli.
Before Raf could speak Eli took the chance to snap back. "Well maybe if you answered you'd be up to date on what is happening! Now what you could do for us is get Miko out of security out of this museum that Raf is sending the location to you. Long story short the world was at stake." Eli and Raf waited for a response from Agent Fowler.
"I expect to be deeply informed of what exactly went down when I get back." Agent Fowler send breaking the silence.
"Naturally." Eli said and ended the call.
"Um, what was that?" Raf asked with concern.
"Nothing." Eli grumbled as she got up and made her way back over to the couch snatching her sketch pad and began to draw. She didn't know what she was sketching, but she was just continuing to become more frustrated as the day continued.
Everything was just a huge mess, Miko got caught by security and she kind of felt left out. She definitely felt left out of being able to hangout with her soccer friends. Eli then turned the page in her sketch pad and started to draw her friends back home in Minnesota. She was so into her drawing that she didn't notice that the others had came back from Greece and Bee gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh, sorry Bee." Eli said with a little jump.
"What are you drawing?" Bee asked.
"Uh, m-my friends back in Minnesota." Eli said a bit nervously. Bee looked closer at the drawing and noticed that Eli was in the middle of the group of 5 girls, and they all had looks of happiness and were laughing.
"You all look happy." Bee said.
"We were thick as thieves…not that we did the same thing that we did today," Eli joked. "But I miss them."
"Eli, Optimus says its time to get you three home, we'll deal with Agent Fowler and Miko." Bee said.
Eli nodded and closed her sketch pad and shoved it into her soccer bag and made her way down the stairs to be greeted by Bee with his backseat door opened for her. Eli looked up to Optimus for an answer as to why he wasn't the one driving her back.
Optimus turned to Eli, "Bumblebee will accompany you home, I will be there when I can." Eli nodded with a small smile and threw her bag across Bee's backseat and climbed in after. Raf was already sitting in the passenger seat and looked to her with a smile.
"I asked Optimus if Bee could drive you home." Raf said.
"Thanks, Raf and Bee," Eli said as she buckled herself in and Bee drove out of the base heading towards Eli's house. "I think we had enough excitement for one day. And sorry for my attitude earlier."
"It's okay Eli…" Raf paused as an idea came to mind. "Hey, what if you hangout with your team at the ice cream shop. I can sit away there while you hang out with your friends and Bee will be there to watch. If that's alright with you Bee?" Raf said.
"Good idea Raf." Bee chirped in high spirits.
"Really? You two would do that for me? And Raf you could join us for ice cream. I wouldn't ask you to sit away from us." Eli said excitedly.
"Then it's settled." Raf said.
"Thank you so much." Eli said with a satisfactory smile and looked out the window as Bee drew closer to town.
A/N: First off the italics will be Bee speaking since I find that easier. And sorry for such a late post, a lot has been going on. I am trying to post a couple more chapters before the end of May. I won't be able to post for about 2 months, but after that I plan to continue so don't worry Eli's story will continue.