Chapter 17
Sorry for the long delays. But here is Chapter 2 of Part II: Fade to Black
"Are you sure about this?" Agent Fowler asked me.
"Yeah, I've given it a lot of thought and I decided that this was the best course of action," I answered.
"You know the general isn't going to be happy about this, especially since the thing is complete," Fowler said running a hand through his hair.
"I understand that," I said. "The general needs to understand that I made a mistake and so did this organization."
"But to completely flip-flop your point of view this quickly, Uncle Sam's beard boy," Fowler said aghast. "This doesn't bode well for you."
"When has anything bode well for me recently?" I asked crossing my arms.
The agent shrugged and shook his head. It was quiet between the two of us for a while until he said, "Very well, it'll be done. As for your other request I'll work on that as well."
"Thanks, Fowler," I said grateful that he would dismantle the transformer we had built at Hanger E. "As for the other request?"
"Like I said, I'll work on it," Fowler said.
"I don't have much time," I said pointedly.
William Fowler sighed and looked me in the eyes. "You don't have to do everything alone," he said softly.
"I know, but that's how I operate," I said. I paused and said softly, "It was how I was taught to operate."
"I thought you said that with MECH you never went out on solo missions," Fowler said.
"I might have lied so that the kids didn't hear it," I said. I looked at Fowler with a serious glint in my eyes. "I want this knowledge to stay between the two of us. What I'm about to share is very delicate."
"Very well," Fowler said motioning for me to continue.
"I said I joined MECH at fifteen, that is true, but Silas started training me for things and ops when I turned ten. I knew how to kill a man twelve different ways and became an expert marksman by the age of thirteen with a multitude of weapons. The only thing that I never beat Silas at was hand-to-hand combat," I said still looking in Fowler's eyes to gauge his reaction. His face had remained calm but his eyes grew slightly wider at my revelations. I continued, "Three months after I had turned fifteen, Silas sent me on a mission to retrieve what I now know is Energon. I had then thought it was just a precious rock that would fund MECH until Silas conducted experiments on it and showed it as a resource. While on that mission I encountered another group called Cyborg…."
"Acronym?" Fowler interrupted.
"No," I answered. "An operation more dangerous than MECH. Back then they had a mine full of Energon. I took out a team of Cyborg operatives to gain access to that mine. From what I learned looking through their files back then one thing kept reoccurring, Decepticons."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, Agent Fowler, the Autobots aren't the only ones aligned with humankind," I said. "May I continue or are you going to interrupt me again?"
"Sorry," Fowler said looking down. "Please, continue."
"I didn't know what the word Decepticons meant then but I do now. The reason that I'm telling you all of this is in case of my demise, only then will I want this information divulged. Am I understood?" Fowler nodded. "Good. When I came back from that mission, my training only intensified. I could have been with the Special Forces if I had been able to, and still I was being pushed on. At age sixteen, I was taught how to fly a fighter jet and a helicopter. That only took me a month and a half due to Silas' training regiment. At seventeen, I was moved to Jasper, Nevada. I don't know why and I'd like to find out. Maybe Silas knew someone was closing in on him and decided to move his best operative out of harms way, I don't know, it's only speculation at this point. The rest you know of my history."
"So you're an assassin?"
"God's sake man!" I cried. "No! I was trained as a spy. Weren't you listening! I was trained to gain intel, take care of myself if I needed to and secure the objective at all costs. I'm not proud of what I did and I sure as hell never assassinated anyone!"
"I have a question for you then," Fowler said.
"Shoot."
"When you helped defend this base from MECH and you killed that MECH operative, Flare told me that you had a mental break down of some sorts because you killed someone," Fowler said. "If I believe what you just told me, then how do you explain that?"
I sighed and ran my prosthetic through my hair. "How would you have felt after killing one of your comrades, William?" I asked pointedly. "Yes, I killed in the past but they weren't people I knew and it was in self defense. I tried peaceful negotiations at first and when those failed I tried stealth missions. I got caught a couple of times and they tried executing me, I stopped them the only way I knew how, by ending them. Killing a former comrade and one you called brother has a total different effect on your mind than killing a stranger. You don't know the stranger, whereas you know your comrade!"
"Well when you confronted me after the failed raid you just seemed innocent that's all," Fowler said sheepishly.
"Did you ask Optimus what I said afterwards to him on our drive to my place?" I asked.
"No."
"I told him that I wasn't innocent, that I had done harmful and maybe even evil things," I said. "He asked if they defined me as a person, I said no. Now," I shook my head, "now I'm now too sure."
"Beau, you are a good person, you try to help others when you can…" Fowler said.
"You know nothing about me," I hissed, interrupting him. "I'm selfish in more ways than one and you may not realize that yet, but you will."
Agent Fowler shook his head sadly and said, "Beau, I may know nothing about you but I do know something about the way you act around the others on the Autobot base. There you act compassionate, kind, understanding. You help out there. I observe and base observations off of what I see."
"Then you need those eyes checked," I said turning my back on the special agent and walking away.
Two days after my encounter with Agent Fowler, I was sitting on top of the base as I normally did when my phone started vibrating. I saw that my bank account had gotten one hundred grand deposited in it and I smiled. Agent Fowler had done my second request. I stood up and headed towards the lift when my phone started vibrating nonstop. I answered the call and said, "Hello?"
"Did you get the transaction?" Fowler's voice asked.
"Yes, I just got the bank notice," I said. "Thank you."
"May I ask what you're going to be doing with that money?" Fowler asked with a concerned accent in his voice.
"Buying things of course," I said.
"What things?"
"You'll see." I hung up and turned my phone off.
I went down the lift and saw Ratchet standing by his computer. "Hello, Beau," the medic greeted me.
"Hello, Ratchet," I said. "Can you do me a favor?"
"What kind of favor?" the medic asked.
"I would like you to locate a Gander Mountain for me please," I said.
"What is a gander mountain?"
"Gander Mountain is a department store of sorts," I said. "It sells things that I need to get."
"Very well," Ratchet said. He typed and said, "The closest is in Fargo, North Dakota."
"Can you bridge me there?"
"Yes."
"Thank you," I said. "I'll contact you when I need to be bridged back. Oh, and when I contact you can you send Bulkhead?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'll have a lot of merchandise."
At Gander Mountain I was like a kid in a candy store. But the major difference was I knew exactly what I wanted. I went right to the archery section. I saw the full metal jacket arrows and I shook my head at the cost, $79.99 that was insane! I needed thirty of those, which added to $2,399.70 and I also needed broadheads, a bow, a quiver, and some targets. I might as well throw in a knife or two while I'm at it. The broadheads came in a three pack, so I needed ten of them, another $399.90 spent. I was looking at the quivers and saw that the maximum the biggest held was five. That wasn't going to cut it for me, I would have to make my own out of leather or something else. That would save me some money. A bow was going to be tricky. I wanted a compound bow without the sights. I hated sights. I'd rather use the arrow as my sight. Although, I suppose I could modify the bow once I bought it. I got a Parker Bows Python Compound Bow for $599.99 and it had a draw back weight of 70 pounds. I made sure that it came in black. Now for the knives and targets. I got one Big Green Field Point Bag Target for $47.99. For a human target I got a boxing thing, a Century BOB XL with a base for $337.96 and since I knew how to kill, I knew where to aim. I then bought a SOG Escape Folding Knife for $49.99 and a Gerber Covert Auto Serrated Folding Knife for $159.99 as my knife options. Then I saw a Camillus Tomahawk and I bought that for $59.99. I knew that if I was going to be taking on MECH, I needed to be armed to the teeth and then beyond. The last item I placed in my shopping cart was a Browning Stick-it Throwing Knife for $42.99 and I was satisfied. Any other weaponry I could get from the agency.
I contacted Ratchet via text message after I turned my phone back on and went to the check out line. The total cost: $4303.33 and that included the tax. I walked out of the store with a bulging cart and saw Bulkhead waiting for me. I walked over to him and he popped the trunk. I started loading stuff into him and he asked, "What army are you planning on taking on?"
"You should know the answer to that," I admonished. "Plus, I need something to do."
"And buying enough weaponry to take on an army gives you something to do?"
"Yup."
I brought the cart to a place I could deposit it and I got in the drivers seat. Bulk started driving and eventually he turned into an abandoned alleyway where a ground bridge opened for us. Bulkhead drove us through and I got out as soon as we got in the base. I unloaded my things from Bulk and set them on the ground and the green behemoth transformed. I looked up at Miko's guardian and asked, "Can you help me take these to the training room?"
"Sure thing," Bulk said.
I picked up my bow, arrows, broadheads, and knives. Bulkhead picked up the rest. I followed the former Wrecker to the training room and he set the targets by the farthest wall. I nodded my thanks and got to work setting up the boxing dummy. I finished setting up the boxing dummy and heard Flare ask, "This is what you wanted Fowler to help you get?"
I turned toward the entrance of the training room and smirked. "This is just the beginning," I said sheepishly. "I'm planning on buying more."
"More of what, exactly?" Flare asked, placing her hands on her hips.
I shrugged, "Not sure yet."
Flare rolled her optics at my antics and shook her helm. "Why a bow and arrow?" she asked.
"Why not?" I countered. "They're completely silent, arrows can be reused, and I think that a broadhead arrow causes more pain than a bullet."
"Why's that?"
"Pulling a broadhead out is damn near impossible if the target is still alive," I answered. "The only way for the arrow to be removed is for it to be pushed through the target. Any slight movement or tug on the shaft of the arrow causes immense pain and more damage than there had been previously. So it's great for interrogations."
"Where did you learn all of that?" Flare asked.
"Where do you think?" I said taking out the throwing knife and tomahawk.
"Purpose of those would be…?" my guardian asked.
"You never know," I said. "Hand-to-hand combat can still happen nowadays and I want to be prepared for that."
"An ax though?"
"Tomahawk," I corrected. I turned toward the boxing dummy turned target and threw the tomahawk. The tomahawk embedded itself in the head of the target and I turned towards Flare. "They're made for throwing and for close quarters combat."
"Nice throw," was all she said before she turned and left.
In all actuality, that throw had been pure luck. I had released the tomahawk too early for my liking and had gotten a headshot. I twirled the throwing knife in my left hand a couple of times before I threw that at the target. It embedded itself where the heart would be and I nodded in satisfaction. My left hand wasn't my dominant hand, which I found odd since I was left-handed. With fencing I was ambidextrous, shooting guns I was right-handed, archery again I was right-handed, and usually with throwing things it was with my right hand. I finished setting up my archery range and once that was finished, I started working on my arrows.
The thirty arrows that I bought were already equipped with field tips, meaning target practice. Nonetheless they were deadly. I switched out the tips on half the arrows with broadheads and set them aside and out of Miko's reach. I knew if she found out she would look for them. The other fifteen I set in a separate pile and I headed out of the training room with the human sized door locked. I walked to the main room and saw Flare standing there. I approached her and asked, "Can you take me somewhere?"
"Didn't you just go shopping?" she asked placing her hands on her hips as she looked down at me.
I chuckled and replied with a slight smile, "The store I was at didn't have a couple of things that I was looking for. I know of a place where I can get the items I require."
"Where would that be?" Flare asked.
"Don't worry, it's in Jasper," I said, my smile getting bigger.
"How long will it take us?"
"I don't know," I admitted.
"It's illegal, isn't it?" Flare asked.
"No," I said. "It's a little store close to the school."
Flare finally relented and transformed into her motorcycle form. I hopped on and put on my leather riding gloves. I tapped her gas tank to tell her I was ready and we took off towards town. I had a Bluetooth in my right ear so we could talk. We got into Jasper and were approaching the school when I noticed something. "Slow down," I said.
"Why?"
"Look at the tree," I said.
"Raf?"
"And a bunch of assholes it looks like."
"What's going on?" Flare asked.
"Trouble," I answered. "Pull over, I need to take care of this."
"How did I know that you were going to get involved?" Flare asked me dryly.
I ignored her as she pulled over and put up her kickstand as I dismounted. I saw that it was that punk kid Vince that Jack had told me so much about over the course of the months I hadn't been in school. "Hey," I shouted. "What's going on here?"
Vince turned around and looked at me in shock. "New kid, it's been awhile," he said.
"What the hell is going on here?" I demanded stopping a foot away from the redhead.
"Just reminding the twerp whose boss, that's all," Vince said idly as if we were old friends.
I narrowed my eyes and growled, "Back off, Raff's done nothing to you."
Vince laughed and asked me, "You haven't been to school in three months, so you don't have a say in school politics. You don't have a clue what's going on here, do you?"
"That's where you're wrong," I said venomously. "I know exactly what's going on."
"Oh, and what's that?" Vince asked mockingly.
"You're picking on someone you deem unworthy, someone you believe to be lower than yourself because he's better than you are," I answered. This prick was really getting on my nerves. "You make yourself feel powerful and strong by picking on him because he's physically weaker than you are. How about you try taking me on, will that change your perception of things?"
"Are you challenging me to a fight?" Vince asked in disbelief.
"Damn straight," I said. "But it'll be more of your humiliation than anything else."
"Cocky much?" Vince asked putting his fists up.
"No," I answered standing sideways so that my right side was facing the ginger. "Confident in my abilities and knowing yours stink."
Vince took a step forward to try and hit me, but I spun on my right foot and delivered a kick to his chest with my left foot. Vince flew back and landed on his back with a grunt as his air rushed out. There was a collective gasp from the onlookers as they witnessed what I had done. "Get up," I ordered him, my voice hard. "I hardly hit you, come on, get up!"
Vince groaned and rolled onto his hands and knees. "Beau, maybe you should back off," Raf spoke up.
I looked at him and shook my head. "He hasn't learned his lesson yet," I answered.
Vince got up and looked at me with anger in his eyes. "You'll pay for that," he said trying to sound dangerous.
"Really?" I asked. "And how do you propose that will work? I doubt you can land a punch on me."
Vince yelled in rage and charged at me. He threw punch after punch and I just leaned and dodged out of the way. I caught his right hand in my left and shoved him back. "You call those punches?" I asked shaking my head scornfully. "Like I said, you couldn't land a single punch on me."
Vince came at me again and I dodged and evaded his punches once more. I sensed a desperation in Vince to land a hit on me, but as I kept evading him that desperation was slowly being replaced with rage. "Stand still already!" Vince yelled.
"I'll make this fair, I'll only use my left hand," I said. "But I'll still land six hits on you before you can even react."
"Bull shit!"
"Your funeral," I said stepping up and delivering four quick jabs to Vince's diaphragm, an elbow to the diaphragm, and then bringing my fist up from the elbow and nailing him in the nose.
The bully stumbled back and collapsed onto his butt and looked stunned. Blood started to trickle out of his nose and I knew that if I hadn't been holding back, he would've had a broken nose and a couple of broken ribs. I turned to Raf and said, "Come on, let's get you out of here."
"What about him?" the twelve year old asked pointing to Vince.
"What about him?" I asked.
"Will he be okay?"
I chuckled and clasped my prosthetic on the boys left shoulder. "A couple of bruises and a bruised ego," I said. "That's it."
"You were holding back, weren't you?" Raf asked looking up at me.
I sobered and met the intelligent boy's eyes. "Yes," I answered. "Way back."
"Why?"
"Because, Raf, I believe that true strength is knowing when to hold up when facing an opponent weaker than oneself rather than completely obliterating them," I responded. "It's also knowing when to hold back and when to unleash your strength that can cause the problem. If you know when to hold back, you'll be fine. If you don't know when to hold back, you're doomed to lose your self-control."
I led Raf to Flare and gave the kid my helmet. It was hard to believe that I was only six years older than he was because I felt way older than that. "Bumblebee will meet us at your destination, Beau," Flare said.
"Understood," I said.
"You'll have to lead me the rest of the way since you know where you're going," Flare said.
"I know," I said quietly.
I mounted Flare first and Raf got on behind me. Flare backed up from the space she had parked herself and I gave her the directions towards the little shop we were heading towards. I nudged her gas tank with my right knee telling her to take a right and she did. I stopped us in front of a store that had written on its sign in bold letters and a cursive font. The sign read:
Zimmermann Leather and Other Specialties
"What does that say?" Flare asked unable to read it.
"Zimmermann Leather and Other Specialties," Raf answered.
"What're the other specialties?" Flare asked suspiciously.
"Just wait here for Bumblebee, I'll be back in hopefully under twenty minutes," I said as I dismounted.
I walked into the store and I saw a man in his mid sixties behind the counter. "Ah, Herr Schwarz," he greeted me with a smile on his face.
"Herr Zimmermann," I greeted back with a respectful nod of my head.
"Was führt dich heute?" he asked. What brings you here today?
"Ich suche nach etwas," I answered. I'm looking for something.
"Was suchst du?" What are you looking for?
"Ein Köcher." A quiver.
"Welche Art von Köcher?" What kind of quiver?
"Die Art kann dass dreißig Pfeilen halten." The kind that can hold thirty arrows.
"O.K."
"Danke schön," I said. Thank you very much.
"Bitte," Herr Zimmermann replied. You're welcome. He disappeared into the back room behind the counter and after a couple of minutes came out with a quiver that would strap onto my back. It looked big enough. He set it on the counter and looked in my eyes.
"Wie kostet es?" I asked. How much does it cost?
Herr Zimmermann took out a notebook and wrote down $100 and underlined it three times. He looked at me pointedly and then back at the quiver. I handed him my debit card and he swiped it and handed it back to me. I took the quiver and he nodded at me.
"Genießen Sie den Rest des Tages," I said. Enjoy the rest of your day.
"Und du auch," the shopkeeper replied. And you as well.
I headed outside and got on Flare. I tapped her gas tank and we headed off back towards base. After a while of riding, my guardian asked me, "That's all you needed was a quiver?"
"I needed one that could hole thirty arrows," I replied. "Mister Zimmermann is the only one I know of that has them."
"How do you know of that guy?" Flare asked.
"I met him a few years back on an assignment from Silas in Duluth, Georgia. I saved his life from a gang and he said that if I ever needed anything I could come to him for a discounted price," I answered. "When I found out that he had moved to Jasper, Nevada, I knew that it was time to call in that debt."
"I was listening in to your conversation, you never once mentioned anything about a debt!" Flare objected.
I laughed and shook my head. "You know German?" I asked.
"No, the world wide web does," she shot back.
I laughed harder as we kept riding towards the base and it honestly felt good to laugh like this. I needed the laugh, even if it was at my guardian's expense. We got back to base and Optimus was standing there looking at the two of us with a disappointed look on his face. Uh-oh, I thought. He's pissed.
"Flare, I would like to speak to Beau alone," the Prime said. Yeah, he's pissed.
I dismounted and Flare transformed and walked away. "What's up?" I asked.
"If you'd follow me, Beau," the Prime said. I knew it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.
"Yeah," I said meekly.
I followed Optimus down a separate corridor from the training room and saw an office of some sort. A Cybertronian sized office, but one nonetheless. Optimus sat down behind a huge desk and motioned for me to come. I climbed up onto the desk that had to be fifteen feet high and saw a human sized chair already there. I didn't know if I was permitted to sit until the Prime motioned for me to do so. "I'm disappointed in you, Beau," the Prime said.
"If it's about me buying the weaponry…" I started.
"It's not about that," Optimus interrupted me. I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's about how you humiliated that boy at the school."
I sighed and ran my real hand through my hair. "Optimus," I said. "It was the only way to get him to leave Rafael alone."
"Was it?" Optimus asked me.
"I…" I trailed off. I felt like a child again.
"I don't have an issue with you stepping in to protect Rafael," Optimus said. "The issue that I have is how you handled the problem."
"I can't behave how you want me to, Prime," I said. "I was raised differently than you'd expect. I see something and I react the way that I've been trained to."
"I can understand that, but to completely humiliate someone that is weaker than you, that is not an honorable thing to do," Optimus said.
I snorted and looked away. "There's nothing honorable about me, Prime," I said. "I've tried to tell you that in the past. In fact after the raid at Hanger E, I tried telling you that I wasn't innocent."
"What aren't you telling us?" the Prime asked resting his huge elbows on the desk and lacing his fingers together.
"A lot," I confessed. "And I proffer to keep it that way. I have told someone though, and I made him promise not to tell anyone of what I had told him unless I died."
"Why?"
"I don't want that information told or spread," I said. "I don't want what I've said to get into the kids ears."
"You're still a child," Optimus pointed out.
I shook my head once again. "Not after what I've done and what I've been through," I said. "My birthday is in a week anyway. From there, I'll be an adult."
"So you don't feel any remorse for what you did to that boy at the school?" Optimus asked.
"No."
Optimus sighed and shook his head sadly. "You may go," he said.
I stood up and walked to the edge of the desk and just jumped down. When I landed I rolled so that my knees wouldn't take all of the energy of the landing. I walked out of the office/quarters of the Prime and headed to the training room. I thought better of it and changed directions. I had forgotten to get a few things from a Gander Mountain I realized. I still needed a punching bag and some gloves. I also wanted to get a stereo so I could listen to music while I trained.
I got to the main commons area and approached Ratchet. "What is it?" the medic asked.
"I forgot a couple of things," I answered. "Do you think that you could send me back to North Dakota?"
The medic sighed and looked down from whatever it was he was doing and at me. "What do you require?" he inquired.
"A punching bag, gloves, and a stereo," I answered.
"Do you require Bulkhead once more?"
I shook my head, "No I think that I can manage," I said. "Although could you locate a Wal-Mart instead?"
Ratchet nodded and a couple of seconds later opened the ground bridge. He motioned for me to walk through. I removed the quiver from my back and tossed it up to Ratchet before I walked through. I was in an alleyway next to the store and I walked in. I headed to the sporting goods area and saw what I was looking for, an Everlast Vintage Boxing Set. It contained a 100 lbs. pound bag, boxing gloves, and hand wraps. It was on sale too so that was a bonus. It was only $54.00! I picked it up and grunted a bit and set in on my shoulder before I headed to the electronic section. I found a Genius SP-HF1800A Speaker System stereo for $65.99. Good I suppose. I picked that up and headed to the check out. I paid and then contacted Ratchet.
I was back at the base and all of the kids rushed to greet me. "What's that for?" Miko asked me pointing to the punching bag kit.
"Exercise," I answered.
"And that?" she asked pointing to my new stereo.
"Listening to music," I answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Where are you putting it?" Miko asked.
"What?" I asked as I was walking to the training room.
"The punching bag!"
"The training room," I answered.
I got to the training room and set the punching bag kit and stereo down. Unaware that I had an audience, I went to my bow and arrow and removed them from where I had stashed them. I realized that Ratchet had placed the quiver here as well. I slung the quiver onto my back and put the fifteen arrows with the field tips in there. I walked in front of the boxing dummy target and nocked my first arrow. I was approximately twenty yards away from the target, a decent starting point since I hadn't used a bow in nearly a year and a half. I took a deep breath as I pulled the string back and sighted down the shaft of the arrow and towards the torso of the dummy. I let the breath go and took another one. This time when I released it, I released the string as well and quickly pulled another arrow from the quiver and nocked it just after the arrow hit the target a few inches to the left of where I had been aiming. It would have penetrated the sternum and been a kill shot, but a slow death due that it wouldn't have severed anything vital.
I took a deep breath as I drew the string back and sighted once again. I released the deep breath and took another, this time holding the breath in and then releasing the string before my breath. The arrow went where I was aiming, right where the heart would be. I nocked the third arrow and turned my torso towards the standard target and repeated the process of taking a deep breath, sighting, releasing breath, and taking another before releasing the arrow. Bull's-eye! I heard a shuffle of feet and lowered my bow as I turned around and saw my audience. Fuck, I swore. It was the kids and their guardians.
"What are those for?" Miko asked excitedly.
"Umm," I looked up at the guardians who knew exactly what they were for. "Hunting."
"Then why are you using a human target?" Raf asked.
I closed my eyes and ran my right hand through my hair since my left was holding the bow. "I think you know the answer to that, Raf," I said softly.
"MECH," Jack said.
I nodded. Now I knew the others would see me differently, as the monster I truly was, as a killer. "I…" I said then stopped. I was at a loss to say.
"I think we should leave Beau alone," Arcee spoke up. I looked at her gratefully and she gave me a small nod.
"But…" Miko started.
"No but's, Miko," Bulkhead said. "Not this time."
Their guardians ushered the kids out and I felt alone once again, something I hadn't felt since I was first brought here due to the encounter I had had with Arachnid. I turned back to the targets and started up again.
Author's Note:
Please let me know what you think
Porter-Fuzz1218