Hey everyone! We have the aftermath of Shanghai in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think!
Also, I wanted to respond to a guest named DemonMamoru, who I can't reply to. I actually don't have a Deviant Art account, mostly because my drawing, editing, artwork, etc, skills are severely lacking. XD I do like the site though. The skills of others truly astound me.
As always, I own nothing!
~Mel
The interpreters (excluding Jack who just sat in the corner of the longue reading a book) had a Bourne Trilogy marathon to pass the time that night. The base was eerily quiet with no soldiers or Autobots around, so the ones left behind felt some noise needed to be added to the atmosphere, and the three Bourne movies had done just that. They were also joined by some of the maintenance staff who were done with their jobs for the night and didn't have anything else to do. It turned out to be pleasant night for everyone there. The rest of the night had gone as usual, Alise and Bee talking until all hours of the night, and the rest of the staff keeping the base running smoothly.
The choppers weren't heard until about three in the afternoon, base time the next day. Alise, who was reading a book in the longue at the time, was one of the first to hear them. With a smile on her face, she got up from her seat and ran over to the main carrier where she knew they would be coming in. It took a few more minutes for the aircrafts to land, but finally the sliding doors were open to the inside of the hanger were opened. She waited patiently for them to come inside, but to her surprise, it wasn't the soldiers who came in first, but the Autobots.
The twins were the first to step inside the hanger. They were fighting of course, but not with the same conviction as usual. Next were Sideswipe, Arcee, and Ratchet, however none of them talking. Jolt was after them. Then, Optimus completed the line. All of the previous Autobots dispersed into the base, and Optimus was the only one to come near her.
Something didn't feel right.
"Hello, Optimus," she said, cheerfully yet nervously. Hearing her greeting, he walked over a few more steps and then lowered himself slightly to speak to her.
"Hello, Alise," he responded deeply. She froze. She instantly noticed that his voice sounded too tired and worn. Something defiantly wasn't right.
"Optimus," she said quickly. "What's wrong? What happened in Shanghai?"
He sighed and gave her a sad look. "Though the battle was won, it came at a great cost."
Alise gave him a confused look. "A great cost?"
He didn't response. He instead stood up and started to walk away.
That can't be good. Alise got a sour feeling in her stomach. Some soldiers started to walk in then. They didn't look happy at all, some looking forlorn and some even having tears in their eyes. Alise started to shaken her not knowing what was going on. Then something clicked in her mind. Where's Ironhide?
'Hide still hadn't walked into the building, not alone or with the other Autobots.
Her mind started to spin. Where was he? she mind started to race, fear clouding her judgment. Thoughts like, Oh, he's probably helping the soldiers with something outside, weren't passing through her mind. They were much, much worse. After losing two of the people closest to her at once in an accident, she tended to think this way when something like this happened. Normally she was just overreaching. However, this time… she just didn't know. She couldn't think straight. Get your ass in here now 'Hide! she demanded to was still no sign of him. Her shaking worsened as she continued to watch the doors and he continued not to walk through them.
Please, 'Hide, please, she started to beg. Tears started to fall freely down her face. Please, 'Hide not you. Not you, not anybody. Please don't be- Just then, she heard a set of large footsteps approaching the base.
And Ironhide walked through the door. She exhaled loudly and shakily.
"'Hide!" she choked out, her voice cracking. She started to run towards him. He turned in her direction at the sound of his name. When he saw her running towards him, he let down one of his hands and brought her to eye level when she reached him. When she was head level, she reached out and hugged his face. 'Hide was very confused at her greeting, but then he realized that she was very upset. Confused at why but wanting to make sure she was okay, started to run a finger soothingly down her back.
"You're leaking on me, girly," he told her, but there was no conviction in the statement. She knew he was asking if she was okay. She looked him in the eyes.
"Optimus said-" she started to choke out, not able to make coherent sentences. "A great cost- And you didn't come in."
Realization dawned on him now; she thought he was dead. He inwardly felt touched at her concern, but he knew she shouldn't have been feeling such sadness for him. There still was a great cost, even if it wasn't an Autobot.
"No, girly, I'm fine," he told her. "We didn't lose an Autobot."
"Then who?" she asked tearfully.
"Some of the soldiers didn't make it back."
She inhaled a deep breath. The world seemed to stop. "Will? Epps? Wash? Are they-"
"They're fine. It wasn't them. It was… others."
"Who?"
"Alise!"
She turned in the direction of her name being called. Below them was Lennox and Epps, both bruised and battered, looking up at them. They both had grieving looks in their eyes. 'Hide let out a deep sigh, making Alise turn back to him.
"I should let them explain," he said to her. She nodded, and he placed her on the ground next to them. When she hit the floor, she noticed she was still shaking. Epps saw this, so he quickly walked over to her and held her tight, trying to calm her down. Though she felt a little better now knowing that her best friends were safe, she couldn't stop shaking because she knew something was still horribly wrong. Tears continued to fall down her face, and she didn't even notice that 'Hide had already walked away. She looked up at her two friends.
"What happened?" she asked them shakily. They both gave her sad looks.
"We thought we were only going to be encountering one Decepticon in Shanghai," Epps started to explain. "But when we got there, Ironhide picked up Demolishor's signature and the whole place just went to hell." Alise understood the name Demolishor and who he was. By this time, she learned all of the Decepticon names, between repeating them to those she had to translate for and listening to 'Hide complain about them. "Then we found Sideways trying to flee and we got distracted, which made Demolishor harder to try and stop."
"Demolishor?" Alise asked, trying to wipe the tears from her face. "I thought he went into hiding and you guys couldn't find him!"
"Yeah, well we did now," Lennox grumbled. "Optimus was able to take him down, but not before he destroyed everything in sight. We lost men. This isn't something that happens a lot, not even in our line of work." Will started to rub his temples.
"How many?" Alise asked, afraid to know. The two soldiers exchanged a glance, and then looked back at her, grief in their eyes.
"Seven," Epps told her. She placed her hand over her mouth as more tears streaked down her face.
"Who?" she breathed. Epps sighed.
"Riley, Gordon, Cunningham, McCoy, Wolfe, Santos, and..." Epps paused for a moment, watching her. "Cruz."
Alise tensed up like a piece of metal. She recognized all of the names, and she had personal connections with all of them. She knew all their faces, and their voices. Matthew Riley would always save her, her favorite brand of tea because it was always taken first before she got to the cafeteria. Marcelo Gordon and Terry McCoy were childhood friends who were, like her, from Arizona, and the three often talked about life in the desert and how they missed it. Viktor Wolfe was a prankster who once dumped water balloons on her and other troops, only to have them all retaliate by spraying him with the hose while some of them held him down. Oliver Santos was a meek soldier who would have rather been reading than fighting, which made many wonder what he was doing there, but he was strong and loyal and brave to the core. Isaac Cunningham had a dream of backpacking the Australian outback, and was going to do just that after his final term in the service, which was in ending in only three months.
But out of all the names, Diego Cruz's struck her the most. Diego, the Spanish speaking soldier that was one of the few on the base that she could truly call a good friend. Though she felt the weight of all of the soldiers' lives taken from them, it was his that crushed her. It was for this reason that Epps was hesitant to tell Alise of this man's death. He knew of their friendship, and he knew it would affect her the most.
"Oh, no..." she started to say. Then her voice became shakier and the tears started to flow freely. "No, no, no..."
"Come here, Lise." Epps pulled her into a large hug, but not before she noticed that he had tears in his eyes also. Alise understood completely. They were his friends, too. Alise stayed there for many minutes, her crying into his shirt as the pain of her friends' deaths came down upon her.
"So, what's going to happen?" Alise asked, as she put a bag of headache soothing tea into a cup of hot water in front of her. Will and Epps did the same with the tea and their own cups, both knowing that coffee wouldn't be good for them at the moment.
"There's going to be a service here for the men," Lennox answered, playing with the tea bag soaking in the water. "Then they're going to be taken home to their families, where they'll have their own arrangements. They'll be going home with full military honors."
"As if it will give them any comfort," Epps mumbled. "This shouldn't have happened. We should've been prepared-"
"Epps," Alise stopped him. "The Autobots didn't know it would be Demolishor there. If they couldn't, there's no way the military could have either. This isn't anyone's fault."
"She's right, Rob," Lennox added. "This isn't easy, but this isn't our fault either."
"That might be true, but now we have this Fallen guy to worry about, and we don't even know what or where he is!" Epps threw his hands up in the air.
Alise gave them a confused look. "Wait, wait, wait," she cut in. "Fallen? What are you talking about?"
"Right before Optimus finished the job, Demolishor said, 'The Fallen shall rise again,'" Lennox explained. "Needless to say that's not something you want to hear."
Alise started to groan and rub her temples. "Oh, fabulous. Another Decepticon trying to take over Earth. That's all we need."
"Yep. And just to add more icing to the shit cake, we're in trouble."
Alise raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"This supposedly covert op was a little less discreet than they wanted it to be," Epps said with a serious face.
"How so?"
Lennox listed the reasons with his fingers. "Civilian causalities, personnel causalities, major property damage, and the fact that Demolishor rolled out onto a freeway as he flung cars off the sides of the road. To say we hope nobody saw him is like hoping for snow in the Sahara desert. We'll be getting a call from the General to discuss what happened. The incident already made its way up to the President."
"The only thing that can save our asses now is the fact that got the Decepticons," Epps said. "The mission was technically a success."
"They're not going to see it that way, though. I know we wouldn't."
Alise nodded. "When are you getting the call?"
"Ten minutes," Lennox answered.
"Wonderful. Have fun with that."
"Actually, we'd like you to come," Epps told her. "Given your relationship with the Autobots, we think it'd be best if you knew what was coming, too. The only others attending the call are some higher ranking officers on the base and the original members of our troop, the ones who've known the Autobots the longest. You're not working, just listening."
"Am I allowed?" Alise asked.
"As long as you're not giving somebody bunny ears or making stupid faces in front of the camera, you'll be fine. Sound good?"
"I think I can contain myself." With that she took one last sip of her tea, and started to stand.
The three walked over to the tech area where they were going to be receiving the call from the General. Upon seeing them, one of the tech members got up from their seat and started to run towards the three. He saluted Epps and Lennox, and then started to speak quickly to Lennox.
"Sir, I would recommend going out to the tarmac," he started to quickly tell him. "We have a guest you will probably like to greet."
"Who would that be?" Lennox asked, a confused look on his face. The tech man gave him a sympathetic look.
"Director Galloway, sir."
Lennox's eyes grew wide, his face then falling into an annoyed expression. "Oh, fantastic," he mumbled. He then started to run towards the door to the tarmac to greet the man Alise had never heard of. After watching Will for a moment and his change in demeanor, she turned towards Epps. To her surprise, he had the same look on his face, one of annoyance and discomfort.
"Who's Director Galloway?" she asked him. Epps turned towards her slowly.
"One of the worst men you will ever encounter in the military," he told her, his face grim.
"How come I've never heard of him?"
"We don't like to talk about him when we don't need to. Plus he's never actually come to the island before. Be happy you're only finding out about him now. He's not someone you'd like to be in the same room with, let alone have a conversation with. He doesn't like us very much. Never did."
Before she could ask him to clarify, there was the sound of quick paced footsteps in the hanger. Alise turned.
Coming towards them was a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses, walking with frightening determination. Behind him was another suited man with the same pace. Lennox was trying to keep pace with the two, and he already looked annoyed. The man quickly reached the two and swiftly passed them, not even looking in their direction. Lennox, who was a few paces behind, quickly went to Epps.
"What is he doing here?" Epps asked quickly and quietly.
"He was just appointed liaison by the President!" Lennox hissed to him, and he then started to run up to where the new liaison was and say something to him that they couldn't hear. Epps quickly dipped his head back and groaned.
"This just keeps getting better and better," he mumbled, mostly to himself, before he started to walk. Alise followed. A few of those who were attending the meeting climbed up onto a high platform where a video feed on a large computer screen was being set up. She climbed up the stairs herself. Lennox was up on the platform, but Epps stayed down at the bottom near the stairs with Galloway. Most of those attending were already there, all of whom she recognized. She went near the side of the platform where she knew she wouldn't be in the way. She was right near where Lennox was currently standing, but out of the line of the camera. Quickly looking around the room, to her quiet humor, she noticed that all of the men were keeping their distance from the Director.
As she looked down at the group by the stairs, they suddenly made eye contact, her and Galloway. His hard look turned into analyzing glare, as if he was trying to figure out what she was doing there. She would admit that with all the older uniformed men there, she did look out of place. She turned away quickly. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed his face, even though she couldn't see it.
"So you're the civilian," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. She looked back at him, her eyes wide. His face remained unchanged, and his voice was cold and hard. Alise got uncomfortable very quickly, especially since she knew everyone was now looking at her. She looked over at Epps, who was glaring at Galloway from behind him, and Will who was giving Galloway a confused and annoyed look. They didn't know why he was singling her out; there was not reason to.
Before anyone each could comment, however, everyone's attention was caught by one of the tech soldiers.
"Secure link to JCS is up, Major!" he said, and Lennox nodded and started to walk towards the screen. "Secure line to Pentagon is now open."
Suddenly, General Morshower's image flashed on the screen, and Will straightened up. He didn't change much from the last time Alise saw him, and she was happy that this time she was seeing him, his attention wasn't directed at her.
"General?" Lennox started. Morshower nodded.
His voice seemed to set the mode of the room. It was understanding, yet dutiful. "Will, I saw the Shanghai op."
"We had a rough day out there," Epps stated from below. Morshower nodded once more. Then Will continued.
"Yes, sir. We have Intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots."
"Proceed."
Then, Optimus in his Peterbilt form rolled up near the bottom of the platform and started to transform. Alise could never get over watching the Autobots go into their bipedal forms. She loved watching all their parts change into those that resembled a human's but were so much more, and the familiar sound of gears turning. She wasn't the only one, and she found it funny when she heard Epps say to Galloway, "You got to wonder, if God made us in his image, who made him?" She couldn't help but agree.
Optimus walked to the platform. Because they were so high off the ground, the humans could easily look up at him or any of the Autobots to speak with them. He stayed out of the line of the camera too, near where Alise was standing. He was going to be speaking with the General, but the human couldn't see him for security reasons. Alise had to remind herself how deep in classified crap she was in when she was friends with beings that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wasn't even allowed to see (not to mention dating one of those beings.) She noticed Galloway giving Optimus an analyzing, and slightly untrustworthy, look, even though the amazement of seeing the Autobot for the first time was still present. However, he looked up at Optimus as if he was the enemy.
Being so close to her, Optimus gave Alise a greeting nod, her doing the same. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Galloway's eyes widen, as if it was so shocking that such an unimportant civilian well actually communicating with him. Alise quickly decided that she did not like Director Galloway. Optimus, not seeming to notice his expression, then began to speak.
"General," he began, "our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon incursions this year, each on a different continent. They're clearly searching around the world for something. But last night's encounter came with a warning."
He then played a recording of what Alise assumed was Demolishor, his frightening voice saying, "The Fallen shall rise again." It sent chills down her spine.
"The Fallen," Morshower mused. "Meaning what?"
"Origin unknown. The only recorded history of our race was contained within the All Spark and lost with its destruction."
"Excuse me!" Galloway cut in, his voice condescending. He was speaking to Optimus. The leader of the Autobots turned towards the tiny man. "With this so-called All Spark now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?" As he spoke, he began to quickly walk up the stairs onto the platform.
The General looked confused as to who the new voice was.
"Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor," Lennox explained. Because Alise knew Will for so long now, she could hear that he was annoyed. However, anyone else in the room, save Epps, wouldn't have been able to hear that. "The President just appointed him liaison. Which, to a..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
"Well, I guess I didn't get that memo," the General said, clearly annoyed.
"Forgive the interruption, General," Galloway said. He then started to walk over to the screen Lennox was in front of, passing those in this way. "Excuse me. Coming through. Excuse me. Excuse me, soldier." However, when he passed Alise, he looked at her for a split second and muttered, "Move." Shocked at his bluntness towards her and surprised he said anything because she wasn't blocking his path in the first place, she stepped even further away from him than she was. After passing her and standing in front of the screen next to Lennox, he continued. "After all the damage in Shanghai, the President is, um, hard-pressed to say the job's getting done." He then turned towards Optimus. "Now, under the classified Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your Intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."
"We've witnessed your human capacity for war," Optimus stated to the man, who was now able to look closer up at him. "It would absolutely bring more harm than good."
"But who are you to judge what's best for us?"
Lennox turned to the man, now letting his annoyance be shown. "With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years."
Epps, who was now standing near Optimus's foot, chimed in also. "We've shed blood, sweat and precious metal together."
Galloway made a face and looked over the railing towards him. "Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk."
Alise looked down at her friend, who now looked very pissed off. The two exchanged a look as he mumbled, "Don't tempt me."
"And the, ah, newest members of your team-" Galloway continued, clearly on a roll, but was cut off by Optimus.
"Easy," he warned him, and Alise noticed that the calm leader looked annoyed also. Galloway just must have that affect on people.
"I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one at the White House."
"Let me stop you right there, Mr. Galloway," Morshower intervened. "It was vetted right here. And in my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach."
"Well, be that as it may, General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake... No one is above reproach. Now, what do we know so far? We know that the enemy leader, classified NBE-One aka Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss, surrounded by SOSUS detection nets and a full-time submarine surveillance. We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien All Spark is locked in an electromagnetic vault here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world."
Galloway was really getting into it now. He started walking across the platform, addressing all present. "And since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after, well, there's only one clear conclusion! You!" He gestured wildly at Optimus. "The Autobots! They're here to hunt you! What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that? The Fallen shall rise again? It sounds to me like something's coming. So, let me ask. If we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet, will you leave? Peacefully?"
Alise felt as though she had been punched in the gut. The Autobots? Being asked to leave? That would be a nightmare come alive. Losing them would be like loosing her life. Just the thought made her stomach twist. Losing 'Hide, Ratch, Optimus, Sideswipe, Arcee, even the twins... and Bee. The thought of him having to leave her felt like death. She had lost enough already to lose him too.
Optimus was silent for a moment. Then, his voice sounding heavy, he spoke.
"Freedom is your right. If you make that request, we will honor it. But... before your President decides, please ask him this: What if we leave... and you're wrong?"
Optimus then started to walk away from the platform, leaving the humans behind. As he did, Lennox turned towards Galloway and said, "That's a good question."
There was a tension in the air after Optimus left, mostly because he was completely right. Earth wouldn't stand a chance if they were to leave and the Decepticons let out a full fledged attack. Galloway didn't see it this way, however. In fact, he looked pretty pleased with himself.
"Change is coming, General," he said, turning to face the screen again. "I would prepare for it. Things need to be cleaned up at NEST. And not just with the Autobots." That statement fueled the angry of all those present. It was a direct insult towards the Autobots, their comrades and brothers-in-arms. To add to the fire, Alise didn't miss the glance Galloway sent her when he finished his remark. It was subtle enough that no one could call him on it, but noticeable enough that Lennox and even the General on the other side of the screen could see, even if he couldn't see Alise. Then, with a victorious smirk on his face and a "Good day, General," Galloway walked off the platform, and, followed by the man he was with earlier, towards the tarmac. Epps, not even caring to do the same to lead him out, started to walk up to the stairs to the platform.
"Sir, with all due respect, we do not care for the way he is depicting the Autobots, or our staff," Lennox told Morshower, Epps taking a place beside him. They were both clearly angry.
"Officially, I am not supposed to comment, Will," the General stated. However, he sighed. "But unofficially, as a person, I don't either. You two be careful in the water you're treading. Galloway is going to be out for blood, and I don't want it to be yours. Keep your heads low and try not to let this situation happen again." Both Lennox and Epps nodded once, agreeing. "As for your staff, Will, I don't see a reason for why he should be questioning them..."
Will cast a glance over at Alise before speaking. "It doesn't seem to be our staff as a whole, sir. Only our interpreter Miss Brown."
Morshower's face looked confused for a moment. "Miss Brown hasn't had one incident regarding her work in the entire time she's been here. She's been nothing but a help. Why is he targeting her? And how so?"
"We don't know, sir. But before our meeting started he very distastefully called her out as the civilian when he wasn't provoked. He then made specific eye contact with her when he talked about not only cleaning up the Autobots."
"Is she present?"
"Yes, sir."
"Miss Brown, may you stand in front of the screen please?"
Alise's heart jumped into her throat for moment, but she quickly composed herself. She walked into the screen frame, holding her hands in front of her. Meeting eyes with the General through the screen, she smiled slightly at him in a nonverbal greeting.
"Hello, Miss Brown," the General greeted her.
"General," she said back respectfully.
"Will tells me that Galloway seems to have it out for you. Do you know what he is referring to?"
Calling me out, insinuating I need to be 'cleaned up', just being downright rude... yeah, I'd say so.
"Yes, sir," she answered him.
"And did you do anything to provoke him to act this way?"
"No, sir. I didn't even know about him until this morning."
Morshower nodded. "I'll try and find out the reason for this. In the mean time, all of you play it smart." With that, the General's connection was cut, and the screen went black. Epps let out a deep breath and put his hands behind his head. Now that Alise had to chance to, she started to worry.
"What was that all about?" she started to demand. "Everyone knows I'm the only civilian here! Why would he say that? And he looked right at me. Me! What's going on?"
"Lise, it's alright," Will tried to calm her down, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We don't know why he did what he did, but nothing's going to happen, okay? Morshower's going to help us out. You'll be fine."
She sighed, trying her best to calm down. "I really don't like him," she told them, almost sounding like a whine. Epps and Will laughed at her statement.
"It's okay," Epps said, pulling her into a hug. "Nobody does. I'm convinced he wasn't hugged enough as a child."
She sighed again. "Guys, maybe I shouldn't take this vacation. With everything going on now, what if you need me?"
"Oh, no, Lise. You need a break. Go surprise your boy and your family."
"I don't know..."
Lennox laughed. "Look, you've had a rough morning. Your brain's in overdrive and you're thinking too much. Go home, and then we'll demand you work yourself to the bone when you get back, alright?"
Alise laughed. "Promise?"
"Oh, we promise."
Alise laughed one last time. "Thanks guys. I mean it."