Chapter 9: Regroup!
"How far away are they?"
"No more than a couple of miles at the most. But they shouldn't know we are here!"
June couldn't help but to tighten her grip on Jack's shoulders. She looked anguished up at the autobot leader, and the question in her eyes was not lost to Optimus. He rumbled a little and gave a curt nod. Yes, he thought the same. They were looking for Jack. But still as was mentioned; they shouldn't know where the base is.
Jack was also contemplating on this. The symbols in his hand and on his neck felt hot and they started to glow a little again. Jack stared wide eyed at them, and looked to Ratchet's screen, where his diagnostic on the symbols were still running. Everything started bleeping and a minor lightshow showed up. Jack turned to Optimus:
"Optimus, what if they are able to trace the symbols on my body?"
Optimus looked to Ratchet and the screens loud bleeping sounds. "Ratchet?"
"It shouldn't be… but then again, I know little about this phenomenon that is Jack at the moment. If I understand these readings correct however, the surge is quite similar in readings to energon readings."
Both June and Jack looks nervous about this development and Optimus quickly scans the screens again.
"Though it reads of as energon spiking, the scans reveals nothing of the sort… Except for the symbols. Whenever they glow, they show small signs of energon."
Jack looked startled "w-wait a minute. I have energon in my body now? Do we even know the effects it has on the human body? It might be poisonous…"
Arcee was tapping her foot and Smokescreen came rushing in. "Don't get me wrong, this is all very fascinating, but have you forgotten about the incoming decepticons?"
Miko stood next to Smokescreen and Bulkhead was standing with a hand halfway on the groundbridge activation handle. Miko looked at the autobots and half screaming half sounding excited said: "Hello, shouldn't we like do something, if they are close to finding base? You know, like… kick their but or something?"
"No" Optimus voice rumbled through the room. "If they are indeed close by, we cannot engage them. Then they will know for sure that our base is nearby. At the moment we must act based on our hypothesis that they can track Jack through the symbols. Therefore it is of the outmost importance and most urgent that we moved Jack to another location and protect him from there."
Jack though tired, pale and slightly scared looked thoughtful for a moment "Wait Optimus, if we ship me out of here with the groundbridge, they will suddenly notice the rapid shift in location and then they might figure out that your base is close by. And if we just drive out of here they might spot us. We need someone to distract them, while I get moved. Those who distract them however ought to groundbridge somewhere behind them and then sneak up on them. That way, we minimize their change of finding this place."
The others blinked and looked at Jack wide-eyed and silence ruled the room for I minor second. June leaned forward and stroked some of Jacks bangs out of his eyes and kissed his forehead. "See honey, I knew you were smart. If only you would use that sort of deduction and intelligence at your homework too."
Jack groaned. "Seriously mom, now is not the time for this."
Optimus nodded. "Indeed it is not, but I quite agree with your mother. That was a very wise and well thought-out plan. Ratchet, take Bumblebee, Smokescreen and the kids along with Ms. Darby with you to another location. Arcee, Bulkhead and Wheeljack - your with me. We are going to distract the decepticons. Ratchet, wait until we have fully engaged the enemy, before moving out."
Everyone nodded and Optimus moved to the groundbridge, inserted the coordinates and turned to the others. "Everyone, move out. And Ratchet my old friend. Be careful and take good care of Jack and the others."
"Of course Optimus, but it is really you who need to be careful."
Miko took out her phone and took a photo of them, as the team moved towards the groundbridge. "Turn them into scrapmetal, Bulkhead and Wheeljack! Wrecker-style!"
As the groundbridge closed behind them Ratchet had packed a few medical items and shifted into his altmode. June helped Jack up and Raf hold out the crutches to him. Miko sneaked another shot of him as he slowly moved towards Ratchet. Bumblebee and Smokescreen turned to their altmodes and as Raf got into Bumblebee, Miko jumped to Smokescreen. "Wait Ratchet, where are we going excactly?"
"We have an underground secret base at the Grand Canyon."
"No, wait Ratchet. They'll just track me there all the same." Jack was sounding slightly panicky again.
"The base is made from leftover materials of crashlanded ships. They ought to block the signal."
"Oh – but you know… It's kind of far away. Like really far away."
"I hope it will give Optimus and the other plenty of time to either deal with the decepticons or shake them off. I know it is not ideal to travel this long with you, but at the moment it is the only option we got."
At that moment Optimus chose to comlink in. "Ratchet, we are in position. Start your engines and roll out!"
"Well, you heard the bot" Miko said as Smokescreen spinned and took point, Ratchet with Jack and June in the middle and Bumblebee and Rafael bringing up the rear.
"So…" Mikos voice could be heard over the radio. "How can Jack be a key and what kind of key? Does he know where this Allspark thingy is, and why is it Jack?"
Ratchet sighed over all these questions. Why couldn't they just drive in silence? The girl could ask so many annoying questions, but that did not mean that it was necessary. Ratchet adjusted the rear mirror, so he could keep an eye on June and Jack in the back. Hornestly, this boy just went straight from one hurdle to the next. He could never catch a break.
"Ratchet, are you even listening to me?" This infernal girl just kept going. "What?!" Ratchets snapped. He hadn't meant to, but the situation was strenuous and far from ideal.
"I said; I don't understand. If it was the Vector Sigma or Jack or whatever that healed Arcee back that time when they crashed, why isn't it or he or… you know what I mean! Why doesn't Jack get healed the same way?" Miko rambled, stumbling around with the sentences, because this was frustrating and confusing, and she didn't find any of this fair. Neither to them nor for Jack.
Ratchet hadn't thought about that. Why did it not simply fix the boy? "I do not know". Meanwhile he continued to keep an eye on both Darby's and spotted that Jack had fallen asleep. His mother wore a worried face, while she put a cooled cloth on the boy's forehead. Must be fever again or still. It was hard to figure out if it was a new fever or that he just never got rid of the old.
"I suggest all humans try to get some rest, while we drive. It is as Miko said… a long ride." No objections were heard. Bots happy that their charges obeyed so nicely and said charges were probably really tired…exhausted even. It had been a long day. In fact it had been a long few weeks so far, and it just seemed as if it would keep on being as annoying and stressing as it had been so far. If he found this here that annoying, he didn't dare think how the humans, especially the Darby's, felt. Awful. Thank the Allspark that they could rest at the moment, while the bots kept driving towards the Grand Canyon. The lack of pursuit both comforted and worried Ratchet. It was relieving to know that thus far the plan had worked. Worried because he wondered how the other half faired against the decepticons. They had better be okay!
Okay I know it is a short chapter – but it just sort of fitted to cut it here… Otherwise it might get to long instead. And I know it is not majorly exciting, but not all chapters can be like that. Anyway enjoy!