"What do you want to do? Continue running?" Bella asked between bites. "You don't even know if they're still following you."
Drift shifted uneasily. "They will. I attacked one of them. They know I'm a Decepticon."
"Was," Raoul insisted.
The mech shook his head. Bella found he looked strangely cowed. For an alien robot he was rather human. She liked him, though she couldn't say why. He didn't strike her as a maniacal psychopathic killer.
"I'm a Decepticon. Not because of the symbol." He gestured at the scarred looking patch on his chest. He had apparently tried to remove it. "Back when you had to choose, I made the wrong choice. At the time it seemed right and I followed Megatron, but the longer the war dragged on, the less convinced I was we were right."
"Wars are the same wherever they happen," Raoul murmured. "Here or on another planet."
Drift nodded. "But I couldn't go back. I'll never be an Autobot. I can't identify with their cause either. I respect the Prime, though. He and the Lord Protector ruled Cybertron together and both were figures of respect and authority. Megatron's ideas about some things appealed more to me, though." He sighed softly. "But that's over and I could never call myself an Autobot. Not even for him."
Bella shrugged. "What about being neutral?"
He tilted his head. "Neutral?"
"No side. Just your own."
"I never considered it."
"Do so. But to get back to the question: what are you going to do?" Bella asked.
Raoul leaned back against the wall. "No idea. If they followed us, we're busted."
"How did they find you in the first place? You've been here for decades. Why now?"
"A system glitch. I wasn't aware of it."
Raoul ran a hand over his bound back hair. "Drift taught me a lot, but I'm not one of his mechanics. I can't repair all of it. I think it was something deeper inside than I want to actually poke."
Bella nodded. "But you stopped it?"
"Yes. Still, they saw me. They know I'm here. Your world might be less advanced than where I come from, but you can find needles in haystacks."
She chuckled. "Well, we need to make this a bigger haystack then."
"But how?" Raoul demanded. "We need to keep running, Bella. If I stay too long they might find Drift."
Bella looked around, seeing nothing that was suspicious. Out here, so far into the park, there were no buildings and aside from a shelter or two for family get-togethers after a hike, nothing disturbed the park. They hadn't seen a soul when they had driven down the dirt road. The mountain bikers used a different road to their favorite haunts, and the families weren't swarming yet.
It was quiet and peaceful and the perfect place for an alien mechanoid to talk to his human friends.
"What if you talked to them?"
Drift drew back as if she had slapped him. "No! They'll deactivate me first! What I did…"
"But it's been so long!"
"He means in LA. He attacked one of them," Raoul clarified.
"But it can be explained!"
Drift shook his head. "I'm a Decepticon. Nothing can be explained. They'll shoot first and scatter my parts."
Bella frowned. "I don't think they're so brutal, Drift. I mean, if they've been here among us for so long…"
But the red optics only intensified in color. The mech was clearly upset.
"You could take on a new guise, right? And you could stay in Lincoln, let things tide over," Bella tried. "I've got an extra bed, Raoul."
"Bella…"
"You have nowhere to go right now, no money, no idea if you're being followed. You can stay."
Raoul gave her a tentative smile. "Thanks."
"Hey, what are friends for?
Drift suddenly tensed and his optics flared. He rose into a crouch and held up a warning hand.
"Something…" he whispered.
Raoul had sprung to his feet, looking for whatever had alerted Drift.
Bella had no idea where the humanoid figure came from, but it dropped out of the sky with such speed, she jumped back with a cry of alarm. Colored in red and gold, glowing eye slits taking her in, it looked like a robot.
Drift had gotten up, pushing Raoul behind himself, but Bella was too far away. She was staring at the new-arrival, but she didn't move. When a car appeared not a second behind the red and golden figure and transformed, she ran toward Drift. But instead of hiding behind him, she stopped in front of him, throwing up her arms.
"Don't hurt him!"
The smaller figure tilted his head, then looked at the mechanoid, who had raised his gun.
"Bella, don't," Drift said softly.
"They're not going to hurt you! You did nothing wrong!"
"Who are you?" the smaller figure asked, sounding curious.
"I'm Bella Sheppard!" she said forcefully. "And Drift did nothing wrong!"
"Aside from running a spear through me," the clearly alien mech said wryly.
Bella's eyes were drawn to the tall body and she saw something glistening covering a tiny part of his abdominal area.
"You attacked him!" Raoul accused him, coming out from behind the Ford, eyes ablaze. "He did nothing! He didn't so much as scratch your paint job! It was unprovoked!"
The newcomer's attention was on the mechanic and the blue optics narrowed a little.
"Raoul!" Drift hissed.
"He did! We weren't there for any kind of trouble! It was an exhibit!"
"And you are?"
"Raoul Vega!" he declared proudly. "Drift is my friend."
"And your car?" the smaller figure asked.
Raoul nodded, glowering fiercely.
"Now that you know us, who are you?" Bella asked courageously. "It would only be polite to introduce yourselves."
"I think polite went out the window when your friend attacked us."
"You came onto him first!" Raoul yelled furiously, pointing his finger at the red and golden figure. "I don't care who you are!"
"Autobots," Drift said evenly,
"'Autobots' isn't an excuse for the 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach!"
"I am Rodimus Prime," the bigger mech introduced himself.
It had an immediate effect on Drift. The Decepticon stared at the other mechanoid, clearly shocked. "Prime?" he wheezed.
"Yes."
"But… I didn't know…"
The smaller figure looked strangely curious again, despite his lack of facial features.
"I would never attack a Prime!"
"You're a Decepticon."
Drift was clearly shell-shocked. His fingers flexed and he whispered a denial.
"Just 'cause he was a Decepticon doesn't mean he's still one!" Raoul shouted angrily.
"You're not killing him!" Bella declared, chin jutting forward.
The smaller figure chuckled. "Feisty."
She glared at him. "He's not your enemy!"
Raoul walked up to her, joining his friend. "He's been with me for ten years," he said, voice stronger than he felt facing these two. "I owe him what I am today. You're not taking him anywhere or killing him!"
Again a look shared between the two new-arrivals. Finally the one called Rodimus Prime met the agitated red optics.
"I think we should talk about this somewhere else."
Drift stepped back. "No! I'm a Decepticon, you're an Autobot. I know how this ends."
Raoul and Bella placed themselves strategically between the two factions. Both looked ready to use whatever was necessary to help Drift.
"I don't just kill another mech," Rodimus Prime said evenly. "Optimus Prime has already been alerted and is on his way."
Drift was clearly trying to process that. "Optimus… Prime? But there can only be one Prime…"
Rodimus smiled slightly. "Things have changed. You know Megatron is dead?"
"Yes."
"Things have changed," Rodimus repeated. "We'll talk." He stowed away the gun and held up his hands. "Nothing more."
Raoul shifted uneasily. "We talk till you got backup and then you take care of the 'problem'?"
The smaller figure suddenly opened his helmet. Bella was surprised to see he was human.
"No. We just want to know who he is, what he's doing here, and so on. But not here. It's too open. You want the peaceful solution? You let us do this."
Raoul warily looked at them, then at Drift. "How can we trust you?" he finally demanded.
"We haven't shot you yet," the human in the armor quipped. "And by the way, I'm Tony."
"Optimus Prime is coming?" Drift asked levelly.
Rodimus nodded.
"I will talk to him."
"Drift!" Raoul protested.
"I can't run forever, Raoul," the Decepticon said. "Not from so many. Not forever. You'd never be safe either."
"So you let them do whatever they want with you?"
Drift met the even blue optics of Rodimus Prime. "I hope that what the Autobots stand for extends to me."
"Cease fire," Rodimus agreed. "Truce."
Drift transformed and opened a door for the two humans. They quickly got inside.
Rodimus and Tony exchanged brief looks, then Tony closed the visor and lifted off. Rodimus transformed and led the way.
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A C-17 had lifted off from Nevada. In its loading bay the red and blue truck was patiently waiting for the drop zone to arrive. Behind him, Ironhide and Will were conversing softly. Ironhide clearly sounded aggressive and Optimus smiled to himself as he witnessed Will's calming influence. Runes were briefly seen dancing over the hybrid's fingertips as Lennox caressed the black finish.
"Fifteen minutes till drop," the pilot announced.
Optimus acknowledged.
"A Decepticon," Ironhide growled. "Can't trust a Con."
"What about Barricade?" Will asked.
The Topkick snorted.
"He's still a Decepticon. Sigil and all," his partner went on.
"Not the same."
Prime was close to marking this day in his personal files. It had only taken Ironhide two decades to acknowledge Barricade as something else than a Decepticon.
"And if what Rodimus has sent us so far is true, Drift might just be another ally in the making."
"Still won't trust him."
Optimus received a message from his co-leader.
::Almost there:: he answered.
As if someone had intercepted the message, the pilot gave a green light to open the bay doors. The soldiers in the back of the C-17 did just that and a cold wind whipped through the cargo area.
"One minute!" one the men called.
Straps were undone and the two trucks rolled to the open loading doors. They dropped down into the night on parachutes thirty seconds later. Lennox followed with his own chute. Like for the two Autobots it wasn't the first time for him; as a Ranger he had jumped countless times before.
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The meeting place was an old warehouse at the outskirts of Lincoln inside the industrial area. Rodimus hadn't left Drift out of his sight, and neither had the two humans. One of them was always close. too close for any Autobot to act. With night as their cover they waited for Optimus Prime.
::I thought you'd be the last to insist all Decepticons are inherently evil:: Tony remarked, watching the two young people.
::I'm not:: was the vehement reply. ::But he's not just a Decepticon foot solider. The way he took me out… it wasn't a fatal wound, nor did he follow up on the attack. He could have off-lined me, Tony. Still, that knowledge… he was specially trained::
Tony shot him a narrow-eyed look. ::How specially?::
There was a brief silence, then Rodimus rattled softly. ::There were some groups amongst Megatron's ranks that were… you could say assassins in your language. They were used for hits::
::So he might be one of them? Sniper?::
::Something like it::
The arrival of Optimus and Ironhide stopped any speculation. When the tall Autobot leader transformed, rising to his full height, Drift seemed to almost sink in on himself. It was a curious reaction for a Decepticon. While the Autobots reacted with respect because of Prime's position, the Decepticons usually didn't defer to Optimus as a leader. He was the enemy. Barricade was an ally and fell under special view. But then again, he did respect Optimus. When he had given himself up, it had been to the Prime.
"Prime," Drift greeted the tall Autobot respectfully and the way he said the word was... like he was honored and cowed in one.
Optimus nodded his greeting in return. "Drift."
Ironhide remained in the back, fingers flexing nervously. His two cannons were out and ready to fire should Drift simply twitch. Of Lennox there was no sign, but Tony would bet the man was somewhere around.
The two humans looked defiantly up at the Autobot leader, both impressed, but both ready to defend who they thought was a friend. Tony had to give it to them, they showed courage.
::He just might be that:: Tony murmured. A friend.
::Huh?::
::Nothing, Just thinking. What do we know about him? Nothing. Barricade allied himself with you guys and the Constructicons were simply pawns. Maybe he's really more. Shades of gray exist::
Rodimus remained doubtful, but he joined his co-leader when Optimus sent a brief request.
"I'm not leaving him alone with you," Raoul could be heard, standing next to the Decepticon, hand resting on one dark red leg. Tony wondered if he was aware of what he was doing, how he was behaving. "I don't care if you are god himself! Who knows what you want to do?"
The young woman had her arms crossed, nodding.
Rodimus allowed a fine smile to leak through the connection he had with Optimus and received one in return. The link had been fully established the moment Optimus had touched ground. It was normal for them by now, no longer a surprising by-product. No one outside the five Primes knew, not even Ratchet. Tony had speculated on it being something of old, since both were heirs to the Dynasty. In Rodimus the heritage had lain dormant and only come to the foreground when Will had identified the writing on his temple. He had always been a Prime, but he had never truly stepped into those shoes.
::They have courage:: he told the older Prime.
::Yes. I wonder if it is misplaced?::
::Look at Drift. I don't see him controlling either of them. He looks more like he would want them far away from here::
"We will not harm your friend," Optimus said out loud.
"You better not!" Raoul declared.
"But we can talk?"
He glared. "Don't treat me like a nitwit. I might not be a college kid and have a simple job, but I'm not stupid!"
"We never said you were."
Rodimus noticed the glance Drift was shooting at his friend, almost as if he was afraid the boy was provoking Optimus too badly. Optimus was noticing it, too.
"Raoul…" the Decepticon said softly.
"No. I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together. He's been with me for ten years," he told Optimus angrily. "I don't care who you think he is; I know!"
"Raoul, please don't do this."
Raoul glowered more. "I'm staying."
Optimus nodded. "I accept."
tbc...