Chapter 11: Plans
Phoenix laughed shakily. "That's like comic book, sci-fi stuff. The world doesn't get destroyed in real life!"
Ratchet gave her a look that was almost sympathetic.
"Don't look at me like that!" Phoenix snapped. "What are we going to do?"
"Like I said, all we can do is wait for Starscream's next move. Until then we can just prepare and do more research."
"Do we have any idea when Starscream will strike?" Optimus asked.
"It could be weeks, or years. It is impossible to say, however I have a theory that Starscream may attack us soon. It would probably be easier for him to get his piece of the core back from Phoenix rather than go for another specimen."
Optimus pulled Phoenix closer to him.
"But the piece is part of me now…" Phoenix said.
"I don't think that will stop him from taking you, Phoenix."
"He won't take Phoenix!" Optimus said firmly. "We should tell the others, double security and prepare! Starscream is alone, except for perhaps Barricade. We've got them out numbered."
"Yes," Ratchet agreed, "but even if he can't get Phoenix, he will go back for another part of the core. It will buy us time, though how much, I have no idea, but if he has to go back to the core, come back to wherever he's hiding, do experiments, and we have no idea what technology he has. Like I said, it might take years for his plan to be complete."
"I hope so." Phoenix whispered.
"Everything will be all right, Little One." Optimus said gently.
Ratchet raised an eyebrow, or the closest thing he had to it. "Shall we gather everyone and tell them what has happened?"
"Yes." Optimus confirmed, "Call them in."
A few minutes later everyone was assembled. Four robots and three humans were seated around a huge table. Of course, the humans, being too small for the chairs, had to sit on the table, and Optimus, to his dismay, was forced to as well.
Ratchet cleared his throat, even though the room was already silent. He proceeded to explain the events with much detail. Once he was finished Optimus stood up to give orders.
"Ironhide, check the weapons and double security. Bumblebee, keep a close watch on Sam and Michaela. Ratchet, do whatever it is you do."
Ratchet snorted indignantly. "I'll find away to stop what's going to happen! We have to have away to keep Starscream from his goal, and a way to fix it if he does."
"All right, other than that, life is pretty much normal. Autobots out."
Everyone assembled shuffled out, and to their various tasks and activities. Optimus and Phoenix walked back to his room silently. Once inside Phoenix went to the bed and curled up into a ball.
"Phoenix?"
"Just a minute, I need to have a breakdown and then I'll be good. It's a girl thing." She said as tears streamed down her face.
Optimus went to her and put a hand awkwardly on her back. "It will be all right, it's ok."
Phoenix wrapped her arms around him and sobbed for a while. She didn't really know all the reasons behind her tears but it felt good to cry. After a few minutes she sniffed and dried her eyes, pulling herself away from Optimus.
"Ok, if the earth is going to be destroyed, then I'm going to make the most of my life!" She declared. "What's the date?"
Optimus thought it was an odd question, but replied, "October twenty seventh. Why?"
"Yes! We haven't missed it. I sort of lost track of things being here, but we humans have a holiday on October thirty first called Halloween. It's my favourite holiday, because it's my birthday!"
"What do you do at this Halloween, and what is a birthday? Have you not been born already?"
"Everyone dresses up in costumes, and you go from door to door and get candy. It probably sounds dumb to you, but it's really, really fun! I'm a little old for trick or treating but I still go some years, because usually as long as you have a good costume, people still give you stuff. And my birthday is just a celebration that humans have every year to remember the day they were born; I don't really know why we do it. Just an excuse to have party I guess. I usually don't have one, I just go trick or treating with friends." She had an idea. "Optimus you could go with me! Everything would just think you were dressed up!"
Optimus sighed. He didn't want to crush her ideas. "I don't know if it's safe to go out, Phoenix…"
"Please? It'd be so much fun! You have no fun."
"I'll think about it ok?"
Phoenix stuck her tongue out at him. "If you decide we can, sir, then we have to go early that day so I can get a costume. I'll be nice and just hope I can find something so that we won't have to go into a town on two different days."
"You're very thoughtful." Optimus said sarcastically, rolling his optics. "Now it's late, you should get some sleep."
"Yes sir! Now turn around so I can pull on my sexy dinosaur boxers."
Optimus smiled. "I will be at my computer if you need anything."
"I hate that computer." Phoenix grumbled.
A few hours later Phoenix was wide awake, listening to the huge clicks, and frustrated noises coming from the computer desk. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she got up and walked over, climbing noisily onto the computer chair and then onto the desk.
"Optimus what is your problem?" She asked.
It quickly became apparent. Being too small to reach the keys with his fingers, Optimus had to run all over the keyboard, leaping from one letter to the next. Often he would get the wrong one, when he had to jump too far across the board. It was fairly maddening him. Phoenix laughed out loud at his comical attempts to reach the right letters.
"It's not funny!" Optimus said, out of breath, but realizing how ridiculous he looked, he couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Here I'll help." Phoenix said, "I'll take this side. Tell me which letters are coming."
They spent the next few hours jumping on the keys in a steady rhythm to Optimus's call of " 'S', 'O', and 'L'…"
When they were finally finished, Optimus thanked Phoenix and helped her down from the giant desk.
"I would have been up all night if it hadn't been for you."
"In case you haven't noticed, we have been up all night!" Phoenix said, reaching the bed.
Optimus climbed up behind her. Phoenix was jumping up and down.
"It's weird, my feet hurt like heck, but I've been jumping around for so long that I don't feel like stopping now… One little monkey jumping on the bed, she fell off and broke her head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" she finished with a flourish.
"Where did that come from?" Asked Optimus. As far as he could tell, it made no sense whatsoever.
"Every kid knows that one! It practically comes to you at birth!"
"I don't think 'breaking you're my head' is a very good thing to be talking about."
"It's just a joke! And it's fun! That's something you seem to have problem with!" Phoenix sighed. "Don't you ever just let go? Sometimes simple things like jumping on a bed can be great. Haven't you ever done that before? Every kid jumps on the bed!"
"I was a 'kid' as you call it, a very, very long time ago. And no, I never jumped on a bed."
"Ok." Said Phoenix, "You' re gonna try it now!" she pulled him to his feet. "Jump!" she commanded.
Optimus tried it a couple of times.
"Isn't it fun?"
"No, not really."
"You don't have a funny spark in your entire body do you?"
"All right Phoenix, I'll show you I can have fun. If you go to sleep, and for that matter, let me go to sleep, then I'll take you trick or treating."
Phoenix's face lit up like a five year olds. "Really!?"
"Yes." Said Optimus decisively, "I promise."
"Yes!" Phoenix grinned and gave him a huge hug. Optimus found himself wondering what else he could say to get this reaction.
"It's a date." Phoenix said happily. Letting him go, she flopped down and was asleep in minutes.