Autobots and Decepticons © Hasbro
All other Transformers movieverse characters © Paramount
OC © Me

Katie was by no means a nervous person by nature, but the fact that she was sitting in a SUV with blacked out windows and two big guys wearing three piece suits and dark glasses on either side of her was enough to make anyone squirm just a little. Never had she imagined that her interview with Jason would go this far.

The interview had been uploaded to the small news station's website, and the hits quickly went through the roof. It would seem that people were more impressed by her firm statement that the Autobots deserved to stay more than her mediocre account of the Chicago attack. The big media names were taking all the first-hand accounts they could get, but Katie's had been a prime pick because it was a topic very few people had publicly taken a stand on yet, and the interview was already popular. As soon as the twenty-minute video went nationwide, the response had been mind-blowing. Katie could only watch with shock as her face was plastered all over the TV and internet. It was certainly flattering, but also a bit concerning; Katie had no intention of sparking such a heated debate in the public.

Her cell had been ringing like crazy, and she couldn't help but wonder who had leaked out her information. There were so many requests for more interviews that Katie had stopped answering her phone because she felt so overwhelmed. However, she couldn't ignore the government official that had shown up at her door yesterday, "requesting" that she come and meet with his superiors regarding the Chicago incident.

So now she was sweating bullets as the silence pressed heavily on her ears. She had asked once where they were going, to which one of the agents had given some robotic reply about how he was not at liberty to say. Striking up further conversation had seemed pointless. The ride seemed to last forever, but Katie could tell that they were way out of the city because the road went from smooth to rough, and she could hear the tires kicking up rocks. The bumpy ride was beginning to make her just a little bit nauseous, when one of the agents finally broke the silence and said that they had reached their destination; wherever that was.

The car came to a stop at last, and the nearest car door was opened to reveal a heavily wooded forest. Even if the agents were silent, they were still gentlemanly enough to help Katie get out of the car and hand her the crutches she was temporarily confined to until her ankle had healed enough. Once the cumbersome contraptions were under her arms she was directed further into the clearing the SUV had parked near. The uneven ground was a little tricky to navigate with the crutches, but she eventually got to the spot the agents wanted her, where two women were waiting.

"Miss Marshal." The older woman stuck out her hand, but the handshake was far from warm. "I'm Charlotte Mearing, Director of National Intelligence."

"Pleasure to meet you." Katie said automatically. The Director just oozed power and control.

"I'll skip the pleasantries, Miss Marshal, I think you know why you're here."

"The interview."

"Correct. That was a very bold statement you made. Got a lot of people riled up."

Katie gulped, but didn't back down. "People don't need me to get riled up. The government hid a lot of things."

"And it's an absolute nightmare." Mearing muttered before addressing Katie again. "Because you have become oh so very popular, we have a proposition for you."

Katie glanced at the other woman dubiously; she looked more like an assistant than another agent. "We?"

Instead of answering the younger woman's question, Mearing turned to the trees.

"Optimus! You're up!"

Katie's mouth fell open when a familiar blue and red Autobot stepped out from behind a large cluster of trees. While he was still missing an arm, there was a reconstructed stub that showed that he was being repaired. The ground vibrated with every step he took, and Katie once again found herself looking a long ways up.

"This is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." The Director said.

"Miss Marshal, it is good to see that you have recovered." The deep voice boomed.

Once Katie had picked her jaw up off the ground, she couldn't help but grin. "For the most part. Thank you."

The 'Bot ducked his head. "It was the least I could do."

Mearing cleared her throat, indicating that time was limited.

Optimus knelt down so his height was less intimidating. "Miss Marshal, as Director Mearing said, we have a proposal for you. Now that the general public is aware of our existence, we need someone who will speak to your people; someone they are comfortable with."

It didn't take Katie long to connect the dots, and her face paled. "Me? W-why?"

"Oh let's see." Mearing said. "Your face is all over the internet, most people like what you had to say, and you have a pretty face."

"But I don't know a thing about them!" Katie protested, even though her heart was racing with excitement.

"Which is why Director Mearing has granted you access to speak with all of us for a short time." Optimus interjected. "So that you may decide whether or not you want to take this position. I cannot make the decision for my team."

"Either way, you must not say anything about what you've seen or heard today unless I give my express permission to do so. Is that clear, Miss Marshal?" Mearing ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Katie replied.

Mearing could barely keep from rolling her eyes in extreme annoyance. "Again with the 'ma'am'…"

"Katie, we await your decision. Will you come with us to our base to meet the rest of the Autobots?" Optimus asked.

For a few seconds, Katie chewed on her lip so hard it hurt. While she seriously doubted she had the speaking skills to be a spokesperson for the Autobots, actually meeting them was a once in a lifetime opportunity; one she wasn't about to pass up.

"I'll go."

Soooo, I'm back. Short chapter, but better than nothing I suppose. This fic will go slower than my AC fanfic, just because Destiny tends to be a higher priority. As always, review! It makes me happy.

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~TKD Dragon