Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, only Kate.
Transmissions are in bold/italic
Transmissions are in "bold/italic"
Ch. 2: I Like Him
Oh, no. This is much worse. Kate had been wrong—terribly, awfully wrong. Just as she had read the words Yaegar Engineering on the side of the mailbox, a distant whistle caught her attention. A whistle that sounded awfully familiar to someone who had been in combat. That—that sounds like a missile, her heart sunk into the pit of her stomach. She took off in a sprint.
"Dad! There's a missile in the living room!"
She slowed, spying a flustered teenage girl walking into the barn. Moments later, all hell broke loose.
Kate couldn't repress the excitement that surged through her veins: Optimus was awake! The whirring of his gears as he shifted from alt mode to his Cybertronian self, his gruff groan as he stretched tall—probably stiff from years of being in the Peterbilt form. She raced to the door of the barn, peering in, practically on her heels as she waited to jump into his arms.
That was until she saw the chaos inside.
"I'll kill you! Stay back!"
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
"Call 911! Run!"
A severely disoriented Optimus Prime swung his gun, beaming one of the three humans across the head and knocking him to the ground. Of course it would be that bushy-haired idiot who's always trying to pick me up, Kate snarked. Hardly batting an eye, Optimus raised his weapon at the middle-aged man and his daughter.
"Op! Op! It's okay! Lower your weapon!" Kate screamed as she raced into the center of the action, putting herself between him and the skittish humans.
Seeing his love in front of him caused a moment's hesitation; blinking, he assessed and took a step back, but didn't lower his gun. "Kate?" His distant irises turned blue, his voice gruff from months of disuse. "I told you to go."
Behind her, the middle-aged man was also leading the situation: "Lucas? Don't move, just calm down." He turned to the teenager, reassuring her: "Stay there. He's not going to hurt us."
Meanwhile, Kate continued to coo to Optimus as he stumbled around the room, holding a hand to his head. "It's okay." She desperately wanted to get closer, to hold his finger, to tell him everything was all right, but logic made her stay back: his memories were still trying to group themselves together. One false step and she could be nothing more than an ant to his boot.
"Weapons system damaged." Optimus reported as another memory fell into place.
The middle-aged man diagnosed him: "A missile hit your engine and we took it out of you. You're hurt really bad." He, however, stepped a little closer.
Kate jumped as Optimus's his leg shot out a spark. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. My poor love. She turned her head, locking eyes with the man: please help him. The man nodded as if he understood exactly what she was asking. He spoke to both of them: "I'm just trying to help you. You're in my home now. I'm an engineer. My name is Cade Yeager."
For the second time, Kate felt grateful to humanity: there were some people out there who still wanted to help them. She believed Cade at his word, his eyes fiercely honest as they flicked from her to the Autobot leader. Optimus must've felt the same for he had stopped stumbling and looked straight at the mechanic. "Cade, I am in your debt," he said, a hand over his heart, "we both are. My name is Optimus Prime."
Another piece of memory must've fallen into place: Optimus began to pace again. "My Autobots! They're in danger!" he cried, stumbling and falling to the ground.
"Op!" Kate couldn't stand it anymore. She rushed to him, cradling his face. "Op. You need to sit. You need help."
"No," he cried, "I need to go. I need to go now!" He tried to stand, but fell again, a piece of his faceplate breaking free and crashing to the floor. It broke Kate's heart to see his body working against his will: he wanted to help their friends, even at the expense of himself. But what good would he do if he couldn't even walk?
Cade echoed her thoughts: "How far you think you're going to get?" He turned, gesturing to the teenager. "Tessa, come here. He needs our help." She hesitated briefly, before walking to him, her shoulders set.
"This is my daughter, Tessa." Cade introduced.
Kate nodded at the blonde, who returned the gesture before turning to the Autobot leader and staring up at him with wide eyes as her father asked: "What happened to you?"
If it weren't for Cade proclaiming that he was an engineer, Kate would've thought him a doctor. She could practically see the gears turning in the man's head, like he was examining a patient: diagnosing the problems, plotting out the solutions. With a pain in her heart, she realized he reminded her of Ratchet; they had similar spirits.
"The government's wiping them out," Kate spat.
Optimus nodded. "An ambush," he panted, sitting and leaning his head back, "A trap. Set by humans." Kate had never seen him like this. Not even when he had died at the hands of Megatron. "I escaped and took this form," he added.
The daughter spoke: "But you're on our side. Why would humans hurt you?"
Optimus's optics narrowed on her. "They were not alone."
Confused, Tessa looked at Kate, who explained: "There's another Cybertronian. Not Decepticon, not Autobot, but he's bent on capturing—or killing—them all." Her voice caught on the last word, emotions flowing through her, bowing her head to hide the tears that threatened in the corners of her eyes. Ironhide, Arcee, Sideswipe, Wheelie, and so many of their friends—gone or hiding. She hadn't had the strength to tap into her telepathy after hearing so many of their screams.
"My Autobots can repair me." Optimus stubbornly stood his ground—
—but Cade wasn't having it. "Yeah, if you can reach them." He picked up the headpiece on the floor and looked up at the leader. "What about me?"
It almost made Kate laugh: Cade was so much smaller than Optimus, but just as much of a force. I like him.
