School Shootout
Chapter Three
**Okay, I've noticed that when I try to write longer chapters I get stalled and I end up not updating so if I write short chapters you're just going to have to live with it.**
Note: I'm using brackets for text msg's/autobot communications.
I watched in dismay as the screen switched to "1 missed call, 1 new msg." I stared at it longingly wishing I could press those little buttons and read Bee's message. As the screen faded to conserve energy I renewed my attempts to get free. Time seemed to slow down. The muscles in my hand started cramping but I pushed past it. I paused once when a sharp scream pierced the air. It was in the opposite direction from Mikaela's classroom. I felt wave of relief followed by a sharp pang of guilt, even if it wasn't Mikaela being hurt it was somebody.
They had no right to do this. I fueled my rage and despair into breaking the tie. Stupid, stupid jerks who do they think they are?—everybody has problems and theirs certainly weren't bigger then my mech-sized red optic problems and it's not like the majority of us had ever done anything to them.
I ground my teeth and strained once more against the tie, I felt the plastic give just a little bit—I twisted my arms so there was greater leverage and tried again. The tie suddenly broke, my hands flew apart and my arm slammed into the chair before I could stop it. I hesitated only a moment to rub my wrists and arms, trying to get some circulation back into them before I snatched up the phone…
Bumblebee felt hopelessly lost. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't help Sam, he couldn't help Mikaela, he couldn't even move to see if they actually needed his help. He glared at the cop cars and television reporters. They could move anywhere they wanted, yet they just stood there gaping and staring with morbid curiosity. Didn't they realize people were being hurt and killed inside?
I scanned yet again, desperately trying to find Sam's or Mikaela's life signs but everybody's heightened state made it nearly impossible to distinguish patterns…but I just had to do something. I even turned my audio receptors up to try and hear his voice. Though I hadn't heard his yet and what I had heard made my spark burn. I had downloaded thousands of gigabytes of data on human cruelty and had even been on the receiving end of it but nothing compared to this not only human hurting human but youngling hurting youngling.
[Prime to Bumblebee]
[Yes, Prime?]
[Ratchet, Ironhide, Lennox and Epps are enroute to you now. Since my alt-mode would cause confusion and trouble I'm going to park a few blocks away and monitor---]
[Prime, shouldn't we be doing something?] I broke in, unable to contain myself any longer.
Prime was silent for a moment before answering softly, [I know that they are your wards and you care about them but we can't help them now. If we were to transform …it would be disastrous…be patient and trust in your wards abilities and talents]
[The only talent Sam has is for getting into trouble…I don't like sitting here helpless when they could be in trouble.]
[I know Bumblebee, but most of the kids did make it out safely. They may very well be at the make-shift command center talking to the police—Lennox and Epps will be there soon, you just need to be patient old friend.]
Silence stretched between us, each of us lost in our own thoughts before Prime spoke again, [Is Sam's cell phone still turn off?]
[Yes, and Mikaela's is on but when I triangulated its position I found it was in her locker.] I answered miserably. A sudden thought hit me.
[ I could break into the cell phone system and write some override codes], I suggested hopefully.
[Hmmm, it's not a bad idea…but if he was in danger and it went off it might cause problems. Go ahead and create the codes just in case. In the meanwhile, stay put and wait for the others to arrive.]
I hacked into the system and two minutes later I had found Sam's cell phone and figured out how to override the simple human technology and then carefully covered up my tracks so no alarms or flags had gone up. Once I knew that I could override it and possibly talk to Sam it took a lot of control not to use it. It hit me then that if instead of simply turning it I could put it on vibrate so it wouldn't cause as much of a problem. I spent another minute rewriting the code. I hesitated only a few seconds as my processor calculated the odds of it bringing harm to Sam. But even seeing that they were greatly in Sam's favor I couldn't stop the feeling of dread that was coming over me. I sent the override codes before I talked myself out of it. I listened to it ringing…1…2…3…
I stopped as my fear level notched up. It had been a long hope. He would have turned it on if he had it with him or if he could of. I decided to leave a text message for him …just in case. I wracked my brain for something to say before I realized the words had always been inside of me. I sent them into the cyberworld.
I quickly looked over the police and reporters before reluctantly turning my attention back to my scans.
My wrists were red and painful, but I was free and that was what was important. I opened my phone and quickly located Bee's message.
Hello Sam, I hope you read this message and that you are alright. I know that wherever you are you are making me proud—and I am very proud to be your guardian…and like I've said before if you ever need me I'm only a phone call away.
I started to speed dial Bee before I realized that talking aloud might not be good because that sicko Rilson and his gang might be listening outside in the hall and I knew for a fact everyone in the classroom would be listening in to my conversation. I quickly scrolled over to the text message screen but I froze when I saw the blank screen—what in the hell was I going to write? Hi Bee, I'm being held prisoner by a crazed lunatic and his friends and they've already killed the teacher. Yeah I could see that going down real well. A sudden vision of BumbleBee being attacked by Sector Seven ran through my head. I couldn't let Bee risk himself for me.
[B, r u there?]
[SAM!, are you alright?]
[im fine] I replied, deciding to ignore the scrapes and forming bruises on my wrists and ankles.
[Where are you?]
[stuck in math class] Oh boy, I realized I really was stuck in hell, [rilson tied me up but I got free]
[Can you get out of the school?]
[don't know—but everybody else is tied up too I cant leave them] I left out mentioning poor Mrs. Johnson and resisted the urge to glance up to the front of the classroom.
[Can you get them free?]
Oh crap, I realized I had never thought that far in advance. I couldn't file the ties off of them—it would take forever. I'd have to find something to free them with and the idea of what I'd have to do…
[maybe. B im scared] I felt foolish typing it but I couldn't stop myself.
[I know but I'm here for you and I'll help you in any way I can]
[ok]
I looked around at everybody still lying tied up on the floor still blessedly quiet. I took a deep breath and headed towards the front I paused when I was roughly in the middle of them.
"Okay everybody," I whispered, "I'm going to go into the next classroom and find something to cut the ties with."
I expected them to fight, to panic, to demand I stay and help them but they just gave me nervous nods. With nothing left to do in the classroom I tightened my grip on my phone and headed to the hallway door. I purposely forced myself to look behind the teacher's desk as I passed it. I couldn't fail them, they were counting on me and the price of failure was too high.