So sorry about the delay! While it's practically microscopic, I do have a social life and it called to me this weekend. But I'm back home and happy to upload the 8th chapter to this insane fic. I'm thinking one more chapter and it'll be done! Which is actually kinda sad. Alas, the other chapter won't be up probably til Tuesday, so just be patient my readers. Anyway, onto more important stuffs...like the story!
Oh wait. Almost forgot. DISCLAIMER: Transformers belong to Hasbro. End of line.
Chapter Eight - Convoy
Above, Jade watched a massive aircraft disappear into the night sky. It must have dropped off the vehicles here in the desert, the girl figured. Chances were, the Autobots were the ones to have landed, but Jade didn't know what kind of planes the Decepticons could transform into. For all she knew, the D-Cons were playing her.
She threw her tanned hand up beyond her eyes in an attempt to shade them from the increasing lights ahead. The pinpoints were in pairs, like headlights, and as they drew closer, Jade slowed down significantly, eventually coming to a stop. Her panted breaths were shaky. Suddenly, the hope for Autobots was disappearing with the oncoming vehicles. Jade threw her gear in reverse and began backing up, slowly at first, but then picking up pace.
The rev of engines filled her ears and as the sound grew louder, Jade almost whipped around to start a full on sprint back into the hangar. But before her sore legs could kick into action, one engine rumbled stood out from the rest and held Jadeance in her tracks. She eyed the many sets of headlights approaching, squinting in an attempt to see whom they belonged to.
An instant later, something massive pulled up through the middle and stopped only meters away from the frail human. In the blindly bright light from the other the vehicles that had all now begun to stop, Jade could see the familiar colors of red and blue. But only when the large truck's own headlights flicked off did she know for certain who it was parked before her.
Instantly, Jade cried. Hydrated tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she didn't stop them. It felt surprisingly good to just let herself collapse onto her knees into the dust-covered desert floor and sob. No words fell from her lips, not even a smile crossed them. From all the shit that had happened to her in such a short period of time, Jade had a right to be relieved beyond anything she'd ever felt and she had a right to be upset as well for being such a victim.
The Peterbilt before her shifted and transformed into a kneeling Optimus Prime, who spoke with gentle, kind words to his human companion below. "You're safe, Jadeance. We are here." He brought a warm, metal finger to her face and lifted her chin.
Their eyes met and Jade was quick to get on her feet and embrace Prime's face. That was the first time she had seen anyone worth smiling about.
"Jade!" Another familiar voice that brought butterflies into the girl's heart. It was the same voice that kept her searching for help while she was being abducted by Starscream. And here it was again.
"Sam," whispered a tearful Jade, stepping back from Optimus who continued to kneel in front of her. "SAM!" she screamed and hurried into the bright headlights of the other various vehicles.
Someone smacked into her to her right and she spun around quickly to find herself face to face with Sam Witwicky. The hug that preceded their encounter was tighter than anything Jade had ever given. It left her breathless and happy, not to mention in pain from her damaged rib, but it was nothing she couldn't tolerate.
"I didn't know…I didn't know if you would come," Jade chocked through more tears as she spoke into her best friend's ear.
"I'm here. Everybody's hear," he whispered back.
After several moments, Jade withdrew from the embrace and took a step back. "No Mikaela?" she asked, ashamed at how relieved she was to not see the attractive girlfriend.
"Nah. She stayed with my parents. You know, to keep them from freaking out on the way home."
Jade laughed.
Then Sam saw the blood. "Your arms," he said worriedly.
Jade eyed her red wounds and shrugged. "I'm okay. Really," she added, noting Sam's disbelieving expression.
Her eyes then scanned her surrounding and suddenly, everything became clearer. She could see NEST military officers stepping out of a black truck as well as a yellow ambulance, weapons in hand to fend off irritating Decepticons as they jogged over to Jade.
Once their human passengers were out, everything transformed. Bumblebee, Ratchet, Sideswipe, and Ironhide were all clearly visible now.
No words could describe the amount of joy fluttering inside Jade.
"Did you think we forgot about you, Jade?" asked Sideswipe as he weaved between the soldiers, making his way up to his human friend.
"Never," she replied. She hissed in pain as a soldier touched her arm.
"Lacerations to both forearms," said a brown-uniformed soldier.
"Let me have a look." Ratchet appeared beside Sideswipe and squatted down. "Jade, I'm going to scan you for further injuries."
Jade frowned. "Ratchet, no scan. I said I'm fine."
Prime spoke up them. "Please Jade, allow Ratchet to do his job. It's only a precaution." He looked over to the soldiers then and nodded. Most of them, led by Lennox, hurried off towards the hangar to establish its safety.
Ironhide followed closely behind them.
"No major Energon signatures," assured Prime. "Only a faint one inside and another one…" Optimus paused and looked down at Jade, whose scan from Ratchet's red beam was nearly complete.
"What?" she asked the Autobot leader as he cocked his head at her.
"There is an Energon reading coming from you."
"No doubt about that," confirmed Ratchet. "She has a heavy amount of it flowing through her veins as we speak."
Prime frowned. "How does something like that happen?"
His question was open, but Jade answered. "Megatron…he dripped some into the cuts on my arms." She hesitated, clearly recalling the horrendous event.
The medical officer beside her began to gauze her wounds, take her pulse and pressure and once he was finished, he said, "She's fine, Optimus. Her blood pressure's low, but it's just from hunger. Other than that, she's okay."
Prime nodded.
"So what does that mean?" It was Sam who spoke out that time, now even more worried for his friend now that there was Energon in her.
"Well," began Ratchet, "I couldn't really say. I've never come across such a thing."
Sideswipe looked at the medic. "But she'll be fine, right?"
Ratchet shrugged. "I really don't know. As of now, her vitals are stable. She has a broken rib, lower left side, but no other major injuries."
Sighing, Jade repeated, "I'm fine. My head's pounding and I'm starving, but I'm fine. Can we please just go home?" She looked at Ratchet and the medic who had just tended to her, asking for the okay from the doctors.
"Colonel Lennox is returning with his men now. Then we will embark on our journey home.
Home. Jade nodded at the idea of going there. She hadn't realized how much she missed it and those in it—her mother and Kiba, the cat.
Once Lennox was back, he gave a quick briefing. "The place is empty, Optimus."
"Yeah, all we found was this. I think it's still alive, too." Epps out a crushed bug-looking Transformer.
Jade's eyes widened. "Can I see that, Epps?"
The darker man hesitated.
"Please? It can't hurt anyone anyway," she said, smiling as Epps finally let her have it for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Jade threw the tiny Decepticon to the ground at her feet and began stomping on it.
No one tried to stop her. They just looked at her and allowed her to destroy the veil creature.
It sputtered and sparked and finally went dim as death took over the little Scalpel. One more stomp and it was game-over.
Jade was satisfied. "Can we leave now?"
Lennox smiled and nodded. "Alright, lets move out!" His men obeyed and most hurried back into a vehicle-mode Ironhide. Some waited for Ratchet, who was the humans' other ride.
Bumblebee entered disguise mode as well and clicked open his doors for Sam and Jade.
"Hey Sam," asked Jade suddenly. "Is it alright if I ride with Ratchet?"
Sideswipe blinked at the question directed towards Sam. The human he was meant to protect wanted to ride with another 'bot. It hurt a little, but he remembered that Ratchet was Jade's first Autobot companion. She was hurting, both physically and mentally, and needed that friend, so Swipe accepted her decision. Even though it made his gears whir with slight jealousy.
Stunned, but understanding, Sam grinned. "Anything you want, Jade. The choice is yours."
With her own smile, Jade looked up at Ratchet.
He laughed slightly. "What's so special about my ride?"
"Please?"
The medic sighed. "Alright." His friend had been through a lot, after all. How could he possibly deny her a ride? So he shifted back into an ambulance, allowing the rest of the soldiers, including Lennox and a medic, into the back of the vehicle.
Jade hoped into the front passenger seat and buckled in, taking care not to agitate her rib, and observed Optimus through the windshield.
"Autobots," he cried, "Roll out!"
And they did, with the return of a beloved passenger—Jadeance.