Another late chapter due to life getting in the way. I hope this one males up for the wait!
Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers and all its characters. I only own Paige and Swiftblade.
The ride back home was full of a comfortable silence. Wheeljack had left earlier, deciding that since his ship was now fixed that he would search for other Autobots amongst the stars. Paige was tired. So much had happened earlier and yet it didn't feel like a lot at all. Perhaps it was the combination of the stress over worrying about the imposter and her friends, and the two parties. That seemed like a logical explanation for why her eyes couldn't seem to stay open during the trip into Jasper.
Swiftblade didn't seem to mind. He was content to just allow his human companion to relax in the passenger seat as he drove. He made the seat warm for her and purred, vibrating the seat just the way she liked it. It was a comforting action for the both of them, which was why he had decided to do it so often when they maintained a period of physical contact at any given time. It made his spark hum in delight each time, so who was he to deny it if his companion didn't either?
A chime sound stirred Paige from her half-awake state and she fished her phone out of her pocket. She blinked at the screen, taking a moment to adjust to both the lighting and focusing on using the awake part of her brain. The message sender's name caused her to instantly become alert. Her eyes scanned the contents of the message.
From Dad: Be ready at 0400. I need you for a mission.
She sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. It was already late so she wouldn't have a lot of time to pack and get a decent amount of sleep. She groaned aloud at the thought of a lack of sleep and closed her eyes. Yet, it wasn't uncommon. She'd be able to perform decently enough to not make a mistake.
"What's wrong?" Swiftblade's concerned tone had her opening her eyes.
"I…" She sighed again and sat up straight, making the seat move with her. "My dad just texted me. It's a last minute trip and I'll probably be gone for a few days." She rubbed her face before sticking her phone back in her pocket.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Someone will be picking me up before sunrise so you don't have to stay and guard me tonight."
Silence filled the cab for several moments as even the purring had stopped. It made her fidget slightly, worried she had said something to upset him. "...When will you be back?"
She smiled softly and almost immediately the purring was back, vibrating her seat soothingly. "I'll text you to let you know so you can come pick me up. If you're not out on patrol by then, that is."
"Even the arctic couldn't keep me from picking you up."
She lightly kicked the dashboard at his attempted joke and she half-heartedly glared at the rearview mirror angled to look at her. He grunted at the impact but made no other indication that it had affected him. "Don't joke about the arctic, Blade. Not after the scraplet incident," she chided lightly.
"Of course, I'm sorry," he responded quietly, a little guilty.
She reached over to pat the dashboard this time and a rumbling purr vibrated the whole interior at the action. It made her smile softly, not able to stay mad at her guardian. "It's okay, I forgive you."
He pulled up to the curb in front of the garage of her home and she sank into the seat, not willing to leave his warm presence just yet. As if sensing this and feeling the same, his engine shut off as he continued to purr. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company for a while longer. Until a yawn caused them both to reluctantly separate.
"See you soon, Blade. I'll text you when I'm back," she told him as she slid out of the cab.
"I'll be waiting. Good night, Paige."
"G'night." With a small wave, she turned and headed inside. It wasn't until she had closed the door that she heard that lovely engine purr to life and slowly fade into the distance. She sighed and headed upstairs to pack and get ready for bed.
From K.O.: Hey, how's that leg?
To K.O.: All better!
From K.O.: Really?
To K.O.: Want a comparison picture as proof?
From K.O.: No. I'll trust your word.
To K.O.: Does that mean we can go racing again?
From K.O.: I don't see why not. How about in 3 days? Same spot, same time.
To K.O.: You're on!
From K.O.: See you then.
Paige fought hard to keep the smile off her face as she sat in the passenger seat of the green-and-black vehicle, stuffing her phone back inside an inner suit pocket. There was a man sitting in the driver seat dressed in a full-body suit. While his suit was a charcoal gray in color, hers was black with small green outlines along the seams - a special suit of her own. They each had their mask on and Paige tried not to focus on how stuffy it made her feel with it on, instead focusing on the scenery out the window.
They were currently somewhere in eastern Nevada near the border. They were driving along a road, tracking an escort convoy. It was transporting a device dubbed DNGS - short for Dynamic Nuclear Generation System. It was something her father apparently needed for his cause, so here they were following it to try and raid it. She shifted in her seat, feeling antsy in anticipation. She wanted to be able to get out and move around, and soon. She didn't like sitting still for too long, especially during a mission. The waiting period always made her restless.
"They're transporting in an unarmed civilian truck," she heard over the radio in her earpiece. "Send in the ground units."
Paige peered out the window to watch what was happening. She narrowed her eyes behind her mask, spotting vehicles that suspiciously looked like the Autobots. An olive green SUV, a yellow-and-black muscle car, a black-silver-and-green sports car, and a red-and-blue eighteen wheeler semi hauling a silver trailer down a road that snaked along a cliff-face. She frowned, feeling something gnaw at her gut as she watched the other green-and-black vehicles of their troops surround the vehicles and pull up beside the semi. I have a bad feeling about this…
"Gentleman, stop their engines."
Her driver pulled up behind the Corvette and she narrowed her eyes as she glimpsed the license plate. She blanched, recognizing the plate number. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We're stealing from Team Prime. Oh my God, dad… What have you gotten yourself into? Fighting the urge to sigh, she turned to her driver.
"Get me as close to that Corvette as you can," she spoke, her voice slightly distorted and warped due to the voice modification device in her mask. "I'm going to board it and you're going to leave me and keep following the others."
"B-but, ma'am-" The soldier tried to protest, not liking the idea.
She scowled, "Just do it. That's an order."
The soldier hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping on the gas. She rolled down the window and carefully climbed out and on top of the vehicle, crouching low to keep from falling off at the speed they were going. The last thing she wanted was road burn, broken bones, or head trauma.
"Terra, what are you doing?"
She lifted a hand to press the earpiece to talk back through the comm. link. "I'm going to take control of the Corvette and act like one of their own!"
"...Be careful."
She let go of the earpiece and focused on the task at hand. The vehicle swerved carefully and pulled up beside the Corvette, slowly moving closer beside it. When the distance had closed enough, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves and leaped the small gap. She landed on the top in a crouch and she felt the frame flinch as she did. The Corvette swerved from side to side, trying to shake her, but she immediately grabbed onto both sides of the frame so she wouldn't be thrown off. Gritting her teeth against the force of having to hold on with all her might, she shouted over the wind.
"Blade!"
The Corvette seemed to flinch in surprise and immediately stopped swerving. "P-Paige? Is that you?!" Came the dumbfounded reply of her guardian. He obviously didn't recognize the voice, but he recognized the nickname.
She huffed with the effort of holding on and slowly loosened her grip, relaxing slightly on his hood now that he wasn't trying to throw her off. "Yes, it's me! I'm gonna crawl through your window!" She didn't even wait for a response as she carefully moved towards the passenger side. Peeking over, she saw that the window was already rolled down for her. Making sure not to fall, she climbed through the window and plopped into the passenger seat with a big sigh of relief. "Whew!"
"Paige, wh-what are you doing here? Why are you with these humans?"
She shook her head. "I'll tell you in a minute but I need you to do me a huge favor. Act like we're fighting and swerve around a bunch!"
There was a moment of hesitance before a sigh came through the vents. He silently obliged and began swerving from side to side, avoiding crashing green cars from the car chase around them. She held onto the center console and the handle on the roof to keep herself steady for a few moments. Then she let go of the handle and leaned backwards over the center, whipping out a pistol and firing two shots out the still-open window at the cliff-face they were driving next to. And deciding that was enough to seal the deal, she patted the dashboard to get his attention.
"Okay, Blade, that's enough!" Once he straightened on the road, she holstered her pistol, rolled up the passenger window, and then climbed into the driver's seat. Relaxing against the seat once she was situated, she made sure to keep her feet away from the pedals and her hands in her lap to allow Swiftblade to keep control of his own movements.
"Paige-"
"Wait." She told him, and he went silent. She reached her hand up and touched the earpiece to talk. "Sir, I successfully took control of the vehicle."
"Excellent work. Keep me informed of your status."
"Of course, sir." She let go of the earpiece and then pulled off her mask, gasping a little in relief as she shook out her hair. "Much better…"
"Paige." The seriousness in her guardian's tone made her tense up, eyes darting to the steering wheel as it flashed with each word he spoke. "What is going on?"
She sat back against the seat with a sigh and rubbed her face tiredly. "I honestly don't know," she admitted. "I'm part of the mission to steal the device you guys are transporting… But I never expected you to be the ones we'd be stealing from…" She groaned in exasperation.
"I'm going to need more than that."
"I know, I just… This is all so messed up." She held her hands over her face with a small whine.
"I do hope you take better care of the DNGS than you do your captives."
The sound of her commanding officer speaking through the comm. system of Swiftblade's radio caused them both to become silent, listening to what was being said.
"Special Agent William Fowler, here. Identify yourself!"
"I am Silas. But of greater consequence to you, we are MECH. Fair warning, we will be helping ourselves to your device. Even if it means inflicting casualties."
"Is that so? Tell me, Si, what's the market price for a DNGS these days?"
"What makes you think we intend to sell it, Agent Fowler? There's a war brewing, between the new-world order and the newest. The victor will be the side armed with the most innovative technology."
Paige felt guilt gnaw at her heart for multiple reasons. She found herself stuck between a rock and hard place. She looked ahead of them and watched as one of the soldiers behind the trailer got it to open with three well-placed explosives. The lock having been blown open, the door slowly slid up.
"So, Si, you think MECH has all the most radical tech?" Fowler asked.
A familiar blue motorcycle drove out of the trailer and landed on the hood of the green car before dropping to the road and quickly swerving to keep in formation. The man previously standing atop the car had been knocked off and the car swerved before rolling. Swiftblade swerved around the car to avoid it, driving alongside Bulkhead and Arcee. The car behind the first one wasn't able to avoid it. It slammed nose-first into it and was knocked into the air, flipped, and exploded upon hitting the pavement.
"Later, Si~" Fowler sang cheekily.
Paige swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and closed her eyes for a few moments. We're taking more casualties than you'll ever inflict, dad. She sent a silent prayer to whatever higher power would hear her in honor of the soldiers that were dying for MECH's cause.
"Paige…" Swiftblade spoke her name softly, but did not say more. He didn't know what to say. The girl in his cab looked troubled and slightly pale as she clenched her fists in her lap. His spark twisted around itself at the sight and he began to instinctually purr to try and help her relax. The effect was instant as every muscle in her body seemed to loosen and she fully relaxed against the seat. She took a deep breath and let it out as a small sigh. Her troubled expression had softened a bit yet did not disappear, but he would count it as a win regardless. His spark hummed in satisfaction.
"I didn't think this would happen… I don't want to go against you guys. You're my friends…" She frowned and opened her eyes, gazing out the front window as she watched them enter a tunnel directly next to a cargo train.
Bulkhead pulled behind them and she watched in the rearview mirror as he transformed and caved the tunnel in by firing at the entrance. Then he, Arcee, and Bumblebee worked together to move what she assumed was the DNGS from Optimus' trailer to the train car. They got off the train and resumed their previous positions.
"I don't want to fight you either, friend," Swiftblade responded softly, his tone warm and gentle, but also a bit sad at the thought of being his human companion's enemy. She smiled softly and reached over to pat the dashboard fondly. She received a purr for the action. She then blinked to adjust to the sunlight again as they drove out of the tunnel on the other side and veered away from the train back onto the road.
"Optimus, you have company!" Ratchet's voice warned over the comm. link from Swiftblade's radio.
"What?" She glanced in the mirror and gasped, seeing several flying aircraft following them. And they fired missiles at them. "Decepticons," she realized in horror.
"Just what we needed," Swiftblade groaned in annoyance. He then fastened his seat belt over Paige to secure her safely in his seat. "Hold on!"
She tensed in the seat as they sped up with the rest of the team. She watched the trailer get dislodged from Optimus and was quickly left behind, exploding when the missiles hit it and the ground around it. She swallowed and searched for something in the sky, frowning when she spotted the helicopter that had been following the Autobots the whole time. Damnit. He's going to get suspicious. She braced her hands against the window and center console as Swiftblade suddenly swerved to a stop. She looked up and blanched as she saw the Decepticons had transformed and landed a distance away, ready for a fight.
"Paige, this could get ugly."
"Y-you can't set me aside," Paige quickly said, panicking a bit.
"...Why not?"
"Just-... Miko was in some sort of space inside Bulkhead's chest that one time. Do you have one?"
"Yes. We call it a sparkling chamber."
"Whatever it is, just put me in there," she said quickly as Optimus had said something about dropping their cover in order to survive.
"But, Paige-"
"There's no time to argue, just do it!"
The interior vibrated aggressively with what she could only describe as a growl and it rattled her bones and caused her to squeak in surprise.
Then, everything was moving. She held her breath as parts and gears moved and shifted around her, and she was suddenly thrown into a dark space. She landed on a hard surface with a grunt and blinked her eyes several times to adjust to the darkness. Ever so slowly, she could make out a faint blue glow on the wall in front of her. Curious, she sat up and turned to see what it was. She felt her breath leave her mouth in a breath of awe.
Encased in what looked like glass was a small, very bright, ball of blue energy. It was wispy around the edges and flowed in its confined space in an ethereal way. It pulsed like a heartbeat and seemed to hum ever so faintly. She stared in awe at it, too stunned to move or even look away. It was beautiful. Nothing she had ever seen could ever compare to it.
And then her world was moving and shaking. There were muffled sounds of metal hitting metal outside and she gasped in realization. They're fighting! Something slammed into the walls and she was thrown to the floor with a cry of surprise. Now I know how Miko felt! She quickly scrambled to her hands and knees and moved to the nearest wall for support, her back to the odd blue ball of light. She could feel its pulses and warmth from behind her, causing her to shiver.
Then she heard a garbled mess of static voices from her earpiece. Silas was attempting to contact her, but somehow there was an interference with the signal. She glanced over her shoulder at the ball of blue light. Is that what's causing it? I'll have to ask Blade about it later.
"Prime!" Fowler's voice echoed faintly into her confined space. "Silas got wise to Phase 2!"
"I understand!" Optimus answered, sounding slightly out of breath from fighting.
"Prime! Do you read me? Prime!" Fowler's urgent tone caused Paige to frown with worry, wondering what had happened. A part of her wished she could see outside, but she also didn't want to come face-to-face with a Decepticon again.
The walls around her shook again and she closed her eyes against the impact. She felt like a ragdoll being tossed around in a box as she was sent to the floor, and this time she didn't even try to get up. She curled up into a protective ball and buried her face in her arms. She waited for everything to stop moving and shaking. She listened to the sounds of the muffled fight echoing around her. Metal slammed into metal, metal slicing through metal, blaster fire… She could hear it all.
It was honestly a little terrifying being blind to the sounds happening around her.
And then it all stopped.
The walls and even the floor began to vibrate around her with a gentle intensity and it took her a moment to realize what was happening. Swiftblade was purring. It rattled everything around her and she found herself relaxing from the tight ball she had curled into. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes with a soft sigh.
"Is the fighting over?" She asked softly, wondering if her guardian could hear her from inside the 'sparkling chamber' as he had called it. The purr grew slightly louder, as if to answer her question. So maybe he can hear her, but can she hear him? Or is he staying quiet to avoid suspicion? She didn't know.
The only thing that filled her ears for several minutes was the rumbling of Swiftblade's purr. It calmed her down, relaxed her tense muscles, and eased her mind. And for those minutes, she almost forgot about the situation she was in, and was going to be in.
"Swiftblade," Optimus' voice echoed through the chamber faintly and she blinked open her eyes. "What is Silas talking about?"
The purr immediately ceased and left Paige feeling like she just got dropped into a place devoid of sound for several tense moments. And then a sigh echoed from him. "Optimus, I have acquired a… passenger." Something tapped against the wall and echoed into the chamber. The sound caused the girl to bolt upright, feeling like a fish in a tank as someone tapped on the glass.
"A passenger?" Arcee asked, confused and suspicious. "There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?"
Paige didn't hear a response to the question. "The one he calls Terra is locked inside my sparkling chamber. She boarded my cab on the way here, but I think she's unconscious for the time being." She could hear the subtle emphasis he had used, getting the idea he was trying to convey to her.
"I promise, I'll explain everything later," she whispered, patting the floor fondly. Instead of a verbal response, she felt the energy ball give off a pulse and heard it hum at her actions. She blinked in brief bewilderment but forced herself to lay down. She pulled her mask back over her head and allowed herself to act the part.
She could hear Optimus let out a contemplative hum. After a few moments, he responded. "Release her and let Silas retrieve her."
Metal gears shifted and Paige flinched as sunlight suddenly assaulted her eyesight as the chamber was opened. Fingers came into view, blocking most of the light, and she allowed herself to be limp as she was pulled from inside his chest. The chamber closed immediately after she had been pulled from it and she felt herself get gently set on the ground. Swiftblade was reluctant to leave her but he stood without question and followed his teammates as they transformed and drove away.
The sound of a helicopter drawing near made her decide to 'wake up'. She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position and held one hand to her head as the chopper landed nearby. She felt hands grab her arms and she was hoisted to her feet and led over to it. She was assisted in climbing inside and she was then promptly sat down in a seat and buckled into it so she didn't accidentally fall due to being off balance.
"Terra, are you alright?" She heard Silas ask from the front as the helicopter lifted into the air and flew off.
"I… I think so…" Came her hesitant reply.
"...Good. We'll talk later."
"Yessir." She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.
"Let me get this straight. You took control of a sentient Corvette and it let you, until it transformed and you don't remember anything after that?"
Her father stood in front of the large window of the hotel room he had rented. He was still wearing his uniform, but he had taken off his protective gear the moment they stepped into the room. He stood with his back straight, feet apart, and his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out at the world. If he was actually seeing the world or something else, Paige didn't know.
She sat on the edge of the King-sized bed, nervously fidgeting with her fingers in her lap as she stared at his broad back. The only thing she had taken off was her mask, which sat on the bed beside her. "Yes… I only remember waking up when your crew came to retrieve me from the ground," she told him, keeping her voice even so as to not give anything away. She could feel her hands become clammy as she waited for his response.
He was silent for several moments. He simply stared out the window and it made her all the more nervous. And then he sighed and his shoulders seemed to sag with the action. He turned to face her and walked over to the bed. He sat down next to her, the bed dipping a bit with his weight, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to bring her to his chest. Her breath hitched in surprise and then she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
"I thought I had lost you…" His voice was quiet, a murmur she almost hadn't caught if he hadn't been resting his cheek on her head. His free hand held the back of her head, lightly combing her hair with his rough fingers.
She relaxed in his embrace and nuzzled him. "I'm okay, dad… Really," she assured him, just as quiet. She felt his grip on her tighten subtly, and she squeezed him reassuringly. "I'm still here… And I'm not going anywhere."
Silence filled the room as they sat together. They stayed in each other's embrace, simply enjoying the warmth and solace that it brought to them both. And then they pulled apart, letting go of each other, yet neither moved from the bed.
"You're as reckless as your mother," he said after a moment, causing her to look at him. His scarred face was impassive, set into a frown that he had adopted during his time in the military. But his gray eyes were soft with a distant memory only he could see.
"Really?" She asked softly, genuinely curious.
"Hmph." A ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "Yes. She used to always drag me along on her little adventures…"
She was silent for a moment, thinking about how it would've looked. It had been five years already since she had last seen her mother and the woman lost her grip on life. She turned to stare at the floor and gave a tiny smile. "Yeah, I guess that does sound like me," she admitted quietly.
"Yes, well," he quickly sobered up and turned a hard stare on her. "There will be no more missions for you for a while after that stunt you pulled. Am I understood?"
She frowned and met his gaze. "Yes, dad."
He stared at her, as if searching for something in her eyes, before standing up and heading for the door. "Good. Get some sleep. You'll be dropped off at school in the morning." He didn't even wait for a response before exiting the room.
Once the door was closed, she sighed tiredly and let her entire body sag with the action. She rubbed her face before standing up and heading to the bathroom to freshen up. She peeled off her suit and stepped under the lukewarm water, since hotels didn't seem to understand that some customers preferred hot showers. She made her shower quick before stepping out and getting ready for bed. She crawled under the covers and curled into a ball as she pulled the sheet up to her nose.
It was hard. She hadn't seen her father fully smile in five years. She was lucky if he even twitched with the hint of a smile. Things were hard these past few years. And ever since he had defected from the military, things just seemed to go downhill very slowly. He was more stern, he rarely relaxed even when he bothered to be at home in Michigan. It was tough. She missed the father that would pat her on the head and tell her she did a good job and offer to take her some place as a reward. Now, he just used his money to buy her things to 'keep her happy'.
She closed her eyes and sniffled quietly. Things were different now. She had to learn to do things on her own, and find happiness on her own. She wasn't quite sure if she had achieved that just yet.
And now we actually have confirmation on who Paige's father is! If her last name didn't already give it away lol. I quite enjoy throwing little bits of information not normally used into the story, like their supposed sparkling chambers and their sparks and such. They're interesting concepts and make for some cool and cute scenes!
Let me know your thoughts in a review!