NSNV Ch -7
GOOD COP, BAD COP?
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Sam had started that morning determined not to do anything that could possibly get him into trouble. This quickly proved to be a difficult task as by the time noon rolled around the teen had already re-read all the magazines in his room and was dying of boredom. He couldn't watch TV or listen to the radio for obvious reasons, and Sam was about ready to climb the walls from restlessness.
It was at about this point his Mother intervened by popping her head into his room and asking Sam to run 'One or two little errands' since he seemed to have some free time. Normally this would have earned a groan from the teen, but in this case he actually didn't mind being sent all over the town by his mother on little manual tasks. At least it was SOMETHING to do!
The list his mother had helpfully handed him contained a short list of tasks that read thus;
'Pick up Dad's dry-cleaning, Get milk, hotdogs and chips, Drop of library books.' Sam scanned the note for a second time and then stuffed it into his pocket while hopping of the porch and quickly sprinting across the grass to the Cameron before his father could notice his lack of 'staying on the path-ness.'
Slipping into the drivers seat Sam put the key in the ignition but didn't bother turning it because Bee was now awake and did so himself the engine flicking onto a warming rumble. "Mom's sending me on errands. Dry-cleaning, groceries and library." Sam informed his friend helpfully while pretending to pull out of the parking spot, but allowing Bee to drive himself in reality.
He just didn't feel right 'driving' Bee since learning what his car really was. Occasionally the autobot encouraged Sam to do so purely for the boy's enjoyment of being able to operate such a powerful car and draw envious looks from his schoolmates when he pulled up for school, but those were more exceptions to the rule than the norm.
Besides that, Sam's hands still hurt despite looking slightly better that morning than they had the previous night, and he wasn't to keen on holding a steering wheal with them truth be told. They were in gloves today, but not the 'special' lead lined ones he had worked so hard to make. These were just regular thin Swede leather gloves with satin-ish lining against his skin.
His father had purchased these gloves last year as golfing gloves, but they hadden't fit the man 'properly' and spent the previous year in a storage shelf in the garage. Sam figured they wouldn't be missed, and it was better than running around ungloved and risking glances at his oddly marked and painfully burned hands.
The radio settled on a decent pop-rock radio station and stayed there letting Sam know it was purely for enjoyment of the music and not because Bumblebee was saying anything specific to him. Sam allowed himself to relax with his hands resting lightly on the wheel, simply enjoying the feel of the wind from the half lowered window to wash over his face. It was a nice day out.
There first stop happened to be the dry-cleaners as apparently Bee intended to fulfill the list as it was written in order. Sam didn't mind one bit he just enjoyed being out and about with his friend, so the task was leisurely completed and the pair was on the way to the groceries store shortly afterwards.
The second errand didn't take much longer than the first, because there were only three things on the list to buy, but Sam dawdled a bit and picked out a few cheep snacks for his own personal enjoyment. Ones that earned a short warning 'chirp' from the radio when his Camaro noticed the bags causing Sam to burst out laughing "I know Bee. No more eating chips in the car." He assured the autobot before tossing the bags into the back and sliding back into the drivers seat.
Two days prior he had been out on a short drive with his best human male friend when the other teen acidently spilled a half-bag of potato chips all over the front seat and floor. Bee had nearly slammed on his brakes right in the middle of pulling out of the movie rental parking lot. It had taken Sam a half hour with a dustbuster and foaming upholstery cleaner to 'fix' the mess to Bee's satisfaction.
The pair then set off to the last of their errand spots, the library. Sam was considering picking out a few books to read after dropping of his mom's romance novels. If he couldn't watch TC or anything he might as well check out something interesting to flip through. Bee approved that sentiment when Sam mentioned the idea out loud because the sound clip 'Knowledge is Power'' interrupted the pop music briefly causing Sam to chuckle.
The library itself was a slightly older building although it had been renovated a few times. The parking lot was located under the building itself with a rap leading up from the parking area to the double door entrance. Sam snagged the plastic grocery bag full of books and exited Bee with a loving pat to the roof. "I'll be back in a little while buddy." He smiled when the engine revved slightly before turning off.
Neither Sam, nor his Guardian noticed when a passing cop car slowed when driving by the entrance, then passed by again before silently pulling into the parking garage and slipping into a shadowed space near the exit. Sam jogged up the ramp and entered the library lobby. In order to actually enter the library proper everyone had to pass through a metal detector that would alert the guard if anyone was trying to steal books or enter with a weapon.
Sam had never paid this fact any attention until the moment right then when he found himself stepping through the sensor that immediately went off with a vengeance. Ducking quickly back to the other side he eyed the scanner like he was worried it might come to life and bite his head off. Considering the situation, it was not a completely unrealistic fear.
But the detector itself made no movement, although the guard did when he approached Sam and asked the boy if he was caring any metal items. Keys, pocket-knife…ect. Sam admitted to having car keys and a small Swiss army knife, and then pulled them both out for inspection.
But of course when he passed through a second time, it went off again and this led to the poor teen being the recipient of a pat-down search that revealed nothing to the guards puzzlement. Sam smiled weakly and suggested that maybe it wasn't his fault at all "Are you sure it's not a glitch or something? I'm returning books after all, not taking any out." He pointed out as the guard looked through his bag of returns.
"Maybe." The man admitted asking one of the librarians to come over and pass through the scanner so they could test if it was having problems. Sam felt his heart rate increase slightly as the woman approached and focused on looking at the metal arms of the scanner. Maybe if he focused enough the scanner would short out like he had caused several appliances at home to do previously.
Sam attempted this…although he kept his hands to himself. The image of a metal detector turned Decepticon haunting his thoughts. The teen merely focused on the electronic, standing as close as he could without drawing suspicion as the woman walked through…and his heart gave a leap as the alarm sounded again…then the system itself made an odd noise and started smoking.
The teen quickly stepped back dropping any focus and the noise ended, although it was still smoking slightly. With a few choice words the guard apologized to Sam for the inconvenience, admitting that apparently the system was on the fritz after all. Sam shrugged the apologies off insisting that he understood how this kind of stuff happens.
No longer interested on picking up books of his own, or even staying a moment longer for that matter, Sam dumped the books into the drop-off and quickly turned to exit the building while the previous stress settled in his stomach like rocks. He just wanted to go home now, before anything else had a chance to happen.
Sam sunk back into the drivers seat upon reentering Bee and sighed as the Camaro started up again and slowly pulled out of the parking spot. 'Show me the money!' a game show sound bite chirped out over the radio as the autobot's way of asking Sam what happened to his idea of picking up some books to read.
"I didn't want to mess with the metal detector anymore Bee. I think it's a good idea if I just go home and avoid anything with sensors period. Except for you of course." The teen told Bee in a try but fervent tone. "I see. That was a good move Sam." Bee said actually using his voice that time while pulling out of the parking lot.
"No kidding. I don't want this day to get any worse…" no sooner had the words left Sam's mouth than the 'Whoo-Whoop' sound of a police car's signal to pull over sound out. "Ahh..geeze no…now what?" Sam moaned leaning forward to rest his head on the wheal a bit as Bee pulled onto a side street and started to park.
Sam straightened and reached for the door handle just as a farmilar sound reached his ears causing every muscle in his lean form to tighten at once. "Oh SHIT NO!" the boy gasped turning part way around to look behind him as Bee floored the gas pealing out. Widened brown eyes caught a glimpse of a half transformed Barricade before being pressed back into the seat by Bumblebee's sudden increase in velocity.
Barcade let out an infuriated snarl and shifted back into car mode pealing out after his prey. There was no way in the flaming inferno he was going to let those two get away this time. A short but wild chase inside causing Sam to flashback to the first time he had been in this same situation. It was no less terrifying the second time.
Skidding into a currently abandoned construction sight in a more down run part of town Bumblebee drifted sideways into a sudden stop and flipped the door open, unbuckling the belt and tossing Sam out into his but. "Take cover." The autobot quickly clipped out while transforming and taking a protective stance.
Sam scrambled to his feet behind one of the large protectively placed metallic legs and with widened brown eyes watched as a police car pulled into the construction site and started to move their direction. "Cover WHERE?" he asked glancing around the rather open area. His panic and puzzlement grew when Bee for some unfathomable reason didn't immediately open fire or move to engage.
"SHOOT HIM!" Sam almost squealed heart hammering painfully in his chest, fists tightened and throbbing warningly. "Bee, why aren't you shouting him already? He's the bad guy remember? Baracade-Decepticon-killer bot?!" the teen's voice rose in volume and panic as Bee still made no move to engage despite the now quite close transformer.
"No….Sam…that's not…" Bee said slowly hesitating with dawning reconization as his gun arm shifted back to the normal hand configuration. Another, as of yet unfamiliar voice spoke up, clearly addressing Sam as the police car started to shift into a form that was decidedly NOT Barricade.
"Little one, do not insult me by calling me Decepticon." The unfamiliar transformer scolded Sam firmly turning disapproving optics on the boy peaking out from behind Bumblebee's leg, the teen gasped in shock and confusion. "You're not Barricade." He stated the obvious still trying to understand what just happened.
"Indeed not." Came the dry and slightly sharp tone from the mystery bot.
Bee on the other hand Sam noticed had no such confusion when it came to the other transformer, instead the boy noticed what could only be called a happy expression on his friends face as the camaro-bot opened his hands in a warm gesture of welcome and greeting. A sound byte from a movie rolled out over his speakers "And people area always saying to me, where are the police when you need them?"
This act earned a soft and somewhat restrained short chuckle from the other transformer "Yes Bumblebee, it is good to see your spark intact as well my friend. Now what is this about a Decepticon?" the police-transformer asked sternly glancing down at Sam who had to repress the urge to take a step backwards.
"Barricade. He looks just like you….er I mean he looks like a car….a POLICE car…when he isn't…um….not one. Who are you sir?" Sam blurted out in standard Sam-style causing the transformer to raise an optic in what appeared a mix of skepticism and confused disapproval. Bee just looked amused and placed one hand on his hip.
"My name is Prowl human, I…" the transformer got no father as his optics widened slightly as a signal of alarm suddenly sounded in his sensors. "BumbleB…" Prowl called out to late starting to move forward as Barricade suddenly transformed behind the smaller Autobot and attacked without warning nearly crushing Sam in the possess.
Placing one hand crushingly down on Bumblebee's shoulder, claws digging into the armor plating the Decepticon planted his heals into the back of the yellow transformers knee joints causing the autobot to fall forward. Then using that as a jump off point Barricade trust his other hand downward, knifelike into Bumblebee's back tearing through layers of plating as the startled Bee let out a scream of pain.
Pushing upwards with powerful hydraulics Barricade made a fist around internal wiring and tore his hand out of the autobot's chest casing while springing off the falling Bumblebee. With a snarl he launched himself at Prowl, a fistful of spark casing still dripping fluids in one clenched fist sparking wildly. In order to complete his revenge and torture the human to death, both autobots would have to be eliminated first…one down…one to go.
Furious at witnessing the what Prowl knew would be a fatal injury to his comrade Prowl's optic narrowed with deadly intensity with a quick controlled movement he swept Sam aside with the back of one hand as Barricade charged, it would stun the human but shouldn't cause any lasting damage.
And than Prowl allowed himself to fall backwards and grabbed Barricade's outstretched attacking arm, then planted his legs in the deceipticons mid section and used his enemies own force to launch him airborne and flying over Prowl's head a good distance before into a shed across the way. Prowl immediately sprung to his feat and ran towards the shed with cool calculation. Barricade had picked the wrong autobot to piss off.
Sam on the other hand felt as if his world was being torn apart, screaming he staggered to his feat and stumbling ran forward towards his guardian as the other tried to pull himself up to all fours while making those horrible sounds of pain Sam remembered from when Bee was captured and tortured by sector seven. Blue fluid dripped out of the terrible hole in the autobot's back, sparks jumping out erratically.
"Bee! Oh lord Bee! Bee!" Sam cried placing his hands on the autobots wrist "Your going to be ok…SHIT, your….BEE!" Sam felt his heart near to bursting as his mind raced, what was he supposed to do? What could he do. Bee was suffering obviously, and there was that liquid stuff leaking out…that COULDN'T be good. But Bee had survived getting his legs torn off…he could live through this…he had to!
Bumblebee however, understood exactly what his situation was. His spark casing had been irreparably damaged, and spark containment was imposable to keep stable. In simple terms, he was dying and only had a few precious seconds left. Careful as he could manage Bee collapsed onto one side with a grown and focused his flickering blue optics on Sam. "SaM.." he lifted one hand slightly, fingers twitching before falling limp "RuN SaM….gO….PlEasE."
"No, NO!" Sam screamed shaking his head violently "I'm not leaving you this time! No all spark for me to protect! Nothing important but you Bee, Nothing but you!" Sam sobbed lifting his hands and trying to stop the slow leak out of the front of Bee's armor, forgetting the much larger hole in the back. The slightly glowing liquid saturated his gloves and burned agonizingly against his hands but Sam chocked back sobs and bit his lip until he tasted copper.
"YoUr…mY..ImpoRtaNt..thInG..to PrOtecT. RuN….S…a….." Bee tried to communicate how he felt about his friend, but he simply could not stay online any longer. He focused on that face, the face of his brave little friend as long as possible till it faded out into blackness as blue optics fell into darkness and light flickered out with an air of finality.
"NOOOOOOOOO! BEE!" Sam screamed feeling his chest burn. Tearing off the liquid soaked gloves as the pain in his hands became unbearable the boy screamed his friend's name over and over slamming his palms against the cooling metal. Bee had to wake up! Sam would give anything, ANYTHING for him to GET UP!
The pressure building in his chest seemed to…expand somehow..swallowing Sam's world in an expanding aura of light. Time slowed for the boy as everything happened in slow motion, dilated brown eyes took on a fain blue glow and Mech fluid paused suspended in mid air.
Each breath, every heartbeat seemed to slow and be defined in an eternity to Sam.
Sharp pain, burning, consuming flared in his chest blossoming like an explosion fireing every neuron then traveling on veins of liquid fire tracing down his arms into his hands. Hands that Sam noticed in a detached manner had somehow become 'glued' to the metal unable to be removed even with the violent shaking that started to travel up his arms.
Sam wasn't sure what was going on but there was the distinct impression of 'something' passing from his body into Bee and a faint impression of a question pulsed from a spot just to the left of his heart washing over his consciousness with the power of the sea crashing to shore.
Is this what he wanted? Sacrifice. Exchange. Repair. Absolute whole. Rebirth?
Sam desperately latched on to the words 'Repair and Rebirth'. YES! He screamed mentally pressing his hands harder onto the metal chest of Bumblebee, even though he could no longer see anything but all encompassing white-blue light.
Understood. Compliance..
That one second burst over Sam with an enormity of sensations, an indefinable un quantifiable consciousness not his own brushing ever so slightly against his own threatening to burn it out like a moth caught in a bonfire. But just before the point of complete combustion, it pulled back slightly and the world came back into focus for same with all the shock of a sudden car crash. Still he could see the miraculous sight of Bee…now whole and without a mark…staring at him with shocked brightly glowing blue optics.
"Bee…thank G…" he weakly whispered with a smile his words coming out as an exhale before going boneless his world swallowed this time by blackness. His form never hit the ground as Bumblebee's large hand gently caught the teen and cradled him against the now repaired chest plate in awe glancing up to where Prowl and Barricade had been fighting.
The two combatants were locked in unmoving combat as both had frozen and looked to the sidelines with WTF expressions when a large pulse of familiar…yet impossible….energy radiated outwards from that location. Both had seen the young Witwicky with his hands resting on Bee's deactivated shell crying, suddenly go stiff and a pale sparking glow travel from his hands across the damaged transformer….pulling the injuries together and leaving the autobot whole and unmarked.
It was impossible. What had happened was….impossible. But they had seen it.
Barricade broke away from Prowl with a snarl and with a running start transformed into vehicle mode and pulled out at top speed. Prowl briefly considered giving chase, but turned to walk towards Bumblebee and the unconscious form he protected instead. Optimus had sent the message the all-spark was lost…yet he had witnessed its power if in a fraction in person.
Just what was going on here?!
"Bumblebee." Prowl called for attention from the smaller autobot while approaching.
"Yes Sir?" Bee responded glancing up all the soreness from his audio receptors gone now.
"Is Prime still functional.?" Prowl asked looking at the pale, unconscious form of Sam.
"Yes." Bumblebee responded.
"Does this human know of him? Know him infact?" Prowl asked rolling options around in his cortex.
Bee almost smiled at that "Yes Siirrrrrr" he said remembering last nights lecture and how well Sam was getting to know the Autobot leader.
"Good. Let us revenue. This must be reported at once. Transform and move out." Prowl ordered.
With a nod Bee handed over Sam to Prowl's gentle hands then transformed and popped his door so the other autobot could place the boy inside. Then after Prowl transformed himself, the two sped off while Bumblebee sent Prowls' request to Optimus for a immediate rondavue involving important developments.
Prowl felt he had been denied important, need to know information. O.o;
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----------Notes-------
See? Lots of reviews fast update! Also I try and keep the characters as cannon/in character as possible. But remember I am pulling from both the 2007 movie, comic and Gl cartoon universe to fill out the details so character personalites vary slightly from Universe to universe. But despite that no one should do something drasticly out of character for any universe!
Up NEXT! - Double Trouble of the welcome kind arrives and Prowl talks about events with Optimus while good ol' Baracade discusses what happened with Screamer and palls. What will the autobots make of this new info? What will the Decepticons do for that matter?!