Monday afternoon found me staring at the clock, foot tapping impatiently as I watched the second hand tick by. I didn't even know why; it wasn't like I was going to immediately hop into action after class. Yet, I could still feel that anxiety bubbling up inside of me, like a kid who's so excited about a trip to Disneyworld that he can't sleep the night before.
Well, except for the fact that instead of riding Space Mountain, I was going to be riding a giant alien robot into the heart of a gang.
Damn, that sounded wrong.
The bell finally rang, and I practically sprinted out of class. Mom was waiting for me at the curb, and I hopped into the passenger seat with more energy than usual.
"You're looking a bit flushed, honey," Mom said, smiling. "How was school?"
"School was fine," I replied, bouncing my backpack on my knee. "In science class, we dissected a fetal pig."
Mom grimaced. "Blech. I couldn't get through anatomy and physiology; I almost threw up when I made the first incision on a frog."
"I thought it was pretty neat," I said. "Of course, some beefy kid next to me cracked open his pig's jaws open like King Kong, and that wasn't so fun."
"Well, it's still nice to hear you talking about school," Mom said, sparing me a glance as she started driving us home. "Makes me feel better to know you're starting to get animated again."
"How was work?" I asked, trying to divert the conversation from that dead horse of a topic.
"Oh, it was fine. I finished grading my class's homework for the week; we're starting an analysis on Olaf Stapledon's works."
"Is he that guy who wrote Star Maker?"
Mom glanced over, brows raised. "Glad to see that bookishness still runs in the family. How did you come across that book? It's pretty obscure."
I shrugged. "Eh, some kid in my class mentioned him a while back."
"Have you read it? The writing's dry, but the concepts are still pretty nifty."
"I might give it a try."
Mom hummed a little to herself as we pulled into the driveway, then turned to me. "Want me to cook tonight?"
I offered a faint smile. "Sure, that'd be nice."
T
Mom was out cold by ten. She was always a heavy sleeper, and she had to wake up early in the morning so she could get to work; it was a good combination for someone trying to be discreet like me.
I made sure I had all my supplies. I put on my spidersilk costume and utility belt, then hid that under some loose-fitting civilian clothes. I kept my mask and gloves in my backpack for my time being, along with some coiled-up rope I'd made from spiderweb.
My bugs were gathering outside; I took advantage of the low light to let them creep over the ground in large numbers. If I was going to make sure Optimus didn't get discovered, and to keep some of the nonpowereds busy, I'd need as many as I could get.
Once I was ready, I carefully crept down the stairs. There was a technique I remembered reading from some urban fantasy story, about keeping your feet to the sides of each step to minimize creaking. It was pretty effective, though I couldn't help but feel awkward as I crab-walked downstairs.
As I paused at the door, I couldn't help but feel a little giddy. I was actually doing this. Not only was I stepping up my game, taking on the bigger fish, but I was doing with a giant robot from another planet. I swear, you couldn't make that stuff up.
I took a deep breath, then opened the door.
I
It was dark out when he loaded up the trailer, and drove through the city. The roads were relatively clear, compared to what the humans called "rush hour", but there was still some traffic as he navigated the streets, taking care to avoid the well-lit parts of the city. He'd made a holographic projection in the driver's seat, but he didn't want to test its effectiveness right before a crucial mission.
He pulled into the same spot as before, and waited. Briefly, he considered reviewing the astrological data again, then decided to take stock of his arsenal instead. His main weapon was perhaps good for one low-power shot, but there shouldn't be a need for it. His secondary tools would be enough to handle the Merchants and take their energy sources.
Well, that and his newfound ally.
He was still perplexed by it all. The humans were a small and fragile species, compared to some of the others he'd encountered. And yet, less than thirty of their years ago, they had changed radically in a number of aspects. Somehow, in a way he still could not fathom, a single traumatic event could grant them the ability to control small animals, or to fly under their own power.
There was clearly something suspicious about the whole scenario, but he could not yet discern what could be the cause of it all.
His put aside the thought when he detected somebody approaching. Sure enough, Taylor came around the corner, dressed in her standard human clothing. Her uniform, he noticed, was hidden underneath, if the outlines of armor meant anything.
He could detect insects entering his trailer, creeping in through the cracks. Humans, he understood, had an irrational phobia of them; they would be useful in distracting the Merchants.
Taylor stepped over, and he opened the passenger seat door.
"Get in."
T
"So why do you call yourself Optimus Prime?" I asked, trying to stave off some boredom as we made the long drive to the Merchant's turf.
"The same reason you are called Taylor," came Optimus's reply. "Even autonomous robotic organisms require a name to define themselves by."
"Yeah," I admitted, "but that's Latin, and I definitely know you guys don't speak that back on Cybertron."
There was a pause, then I added, "You guys don't speak Latin on Cybertron, right? Please don't tell me it's one of those kooky scenarios where you gave us the language; that'd be like something out of a bad Star Trek episode."
"You are the first human I have ever met," Optimus replied. "Latin is completely different from my language. On Cybertron, we do not use verbal communication, as there is no atmosphere."
"So you guys speak via radio?" I asked. "It makes a lot of sense, now that I think about it. So, you still have some similarities with our languages, right? Like, you have verbs, nouns, and so on."
"Yes. After comparing your languages to my own, I produced a rough translation of my name as to create something that was distinct from humans, and vocally pleasing."
I let out a small laugh. "So, you just basically chose a translation that sounded cool."
"I suppose so."
I leaned my head against window, watching the city roll by. There was a gentle rain coming down, not harsh enough to hamper my bugs as I had them enter the trailer, but it was still beautiful. I always liked watching the city lights through the droplets trickling down the window, back when Dad used to drive me to school.
My fist clenched at the thought.
"I understand that parahumans choose titles in a similar manner," Optimus said, thankfully pulling my thoughts away from that sore spot. "One that is symbolic of your abilities, and 'cool', as you say. Have you chosen one?"
"It's hard to get a good name that doesn't sound villainous when your power is bug-related," I replied. "Swarm Queen or Bugmaster don't scream 'hero', you know?"
"What about Blackarachnia? It is descriptive, and sounds 'cool'."
I shook my head. "Oh, definitely not. That sounds even more villainous than Swarm Queen."
"Hmm. Then perhaps we shall wait for others to assign you a name."
I shrugged. "Probably my best bet."
Suddenly, Optimus put on the brakes, nearly jolting me out of my seat. I turned to look out the windshield, and saw why.
There was a gated compound just up ahead. Feeling out with my bugs, I saw that there were a few men in grimy clothes walking around the warehouse, armed with guns. The interior was just outside my range, but already I could sense a few security cameras at the fences.
This must be the central compound of the Merchants, the proverbial head of the snake. Already I began to cover the cameras with my bugs, having my spiders smear silk over the lenses.
"How do we go about this?" I asked.
"Brace yourself," came the reply.
Optimus burned rubber, and raced forward, faster than a truck ought to be able to. I barely had time to hold on to something before he smashed through the gate, and kept on going. Two of the guards opened fire, but the bullets didn't even scratch the windshield. The guards quickly gave up on that, and decided to high-tail it as Optimus raced forward.
He didn't slow down as he approached the compound. I imagined he had an idea of who was inside, otherwise a lot of people would've been hurt by the next stunt he pulled.
Optimus smashed right through the wall, sheet metal crumpling around the cabin, then skidded to a halt, letting the trailer open up. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel a few people nearby with my bugs, along with what appeared to be some vehicles.
"Now!" he barked.
I let my bugs swarm out of the trailer. I'd mainly collected the more mundane insects, considering that Brockton wasn't exactly a tropical city. Flies, beetles, a few mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, and so on. However, I'd also managed to get more than a few spiders, bees, and wasps; enough to bring people to their knees. I'd probably managed to gather more than half-ton of bugs.
They latched onto every person in my range, biting and stinging if they could. Those that couldn't, like the flies and beetles, I had fly around, obscuring people's vision with a dark swarm.
I hopped out, and Optimus transformed, his head nearly scraping against the ceiling of the warehouse. I had some of the fliers swarm around him, obscuring his massive form.
The nearest Merchant was ten feet away from me, screaming his lungs out as he was covered in bugs. I had some enter his gun, trying to jam the mechanisms, while also having others bite his fingers, hoping he'd let go. He began to swing around wildly, firing a few shots, and I ducked low to the ground, pulling out my baton and letting it extend.
The gun dropped from his hands when I brought the baton down on his wrist. He didn't try to go for it, instead opting to try and swipe as many bugs off of him as possible. A hit to the temple made him drop, though he was still conscious, if barely.
The others nearby weren't doing so well, either. The ones with heavier weapons, like assault rifles, I sent the spiders and bees after, going for their fingers. A few managed to fire off a few shots, though one immediately dropped to the ground, having a panic attack. He was an arachnophobe, I saw.
Optimus went after the nearest vehicle, some breed between a tank and a boat. He paused for a moment, studying it, then brought a fist down, punching through the hull like cardboard. After a moment of digging around, he pulled out some square box, then set it down, letting my bugs start pushing it towards the trailer. I dedicated the beetles to that task, considering that they were the brawniest of the insects I had.
The Merchants I had on the ground, I started tying up with the spider-web robe I'd made en route, along with the rope in my backpack. I had teams of ants crawl over the prone thugs, looping the silk around them, then had my spiders layer on more web.
"No more spiders," one of them whimpered. "Make the spiders go away."
I ignored him, then jogged after Optimus. He was digging through another one of Squealer's vehicles, pulling out some spheres the size of basketballs. As my range shifted, I suddenly noticed a figure enter the cockpit of a vehicle further down the warehouse.
Crap.
"Squealer's here!" I shouted.
Optimus looked up in time for a missile to race past him, obliterating part of the wall. I put more bugs around him, concealing his form, then had some try and get into Squealer's cockpit. It wasn't getting anywhere; the seal was too tight for my insects to get through, even the ants. I had some sacrifice themselves, hopping into the intake of her helicopter/jet hybrid, but it wasn't quick work.
Another missile caught Optimus right in the chest. The explosion was a small one, but still enough to make me worry as my bugs were obliterated. I let out a gasp as he stumbled, then saw that it'd only cracked the windshields he had for pecs. I had more bugs cover him up, and he charged.
I was so distracted by that, I didn't notice the figure running towards me until I heard his footsteps. Turning around, I managed to back up in time to avoid getting pancaked to the ground by Trainwreck. I'd reflexively gone for his face, but he had on some helmet. His vision was obscured enough that he couldn't see who I was, but evidently he could still make out some outlines.
I ran to the side, having some spiders loop around his legs with silk, then scooped up the rope. I pulled, but it only made him a little off balance as he whirled around, looking for me. I had some spiders try the same trick with his neck, but he pulled those off. A few smaller bugs managed to slip past the helmet, biting and getting into his eyes, and that warranted a grunt of pain from him.
Through my bugs, I could see Optimus swat down Squealer's vehicle with both fists, then rip the cockpit free of the vehicle. Sparks flew as wires and tubing was torn in half, but I could see that Squealer was unhurt, at least for now. He set it down, letting my bugs swarm over the tinker, then ripped out another power core.
Trainwreck was shaking his head, now, trying to get the bugs off. I slipped the ants further down his suit, and was surprised to find that his body under the suit was pretty damn amorphous, more like a blob than a person. He was a Case 53?
Of course, there were more important matters than what Trainwreck really was. Like, for example, the fact that he was bearing down on me again. I stepped to the side, then backed up, putting more distance between him and me. I had to admit, I was pretty intimidated by him, considering that he was a seven-foot-tall hulk of armor, with black smoke rising from stacks on his shoulders.
Thankfully, as tough as he was, I had someone tougher on my side.
Loud footsteps boomed in the warehouse, and Optimus caught Trainwreck in a punt. Optimus hadn't put a lot of force of it, otherwise Trainwreck probably would've been smeared all over the opposite wall, but it was still enough to send the tinker flying like a tin can. Trainwreck hit the wall, chunks of armor flying off, then hit the ground, groaning weakly.
"I have collected the power sources," Optimus said. "Are the Merchants secured?"
"Just about," I replied, as my bugs swarmed over Trainwreck, coating him in silk.
"Good. I have picked up radio chatter; the Protectorate has received reports of our assault."
"Then we need to get going," I said.
I ran over to the trailer, getting the power sources inside and shutting the door. Optimus transformed back into a truck, then secured the trailer onto himself. Once that was done, I began to disperse my bugs, and hopped into the passenger seat.
"We will let the Protectorate bring them into custody," Optimus declared.
"Fine by me," I said.
With that, he backed up into the road, then booked it.
T
I was back in my civilian clothes by the time I was at my drop-off spot. The Protectorate had missed us, though I could've sworn I'd heard Armsmaster's motorcyle a street over. It was a bit of a relief, knowing that the Merchants were in custody, even if Skidmark and Mush were still at large. Not like they could do much, now that their two tinkers were heading to jail.
"You have done myself and Cybertron a great service today, Taylor," Optimus said as he rolled to a stop. "You have proven yourself a true ally."
"It's my pleasure," I replied. "I can sleep a bit better tonight, knowing I helped put two scumbags away."
I glanced back at the trailer. "So, you think Squealer's stuff will work?"
"There is only one way to be certain."
I stuffed my gear into my backpack, then hopped out of the passenger seat. "When do you want to team up again?"
"I do not know," Optimus replied. "But I have no doubt we will see each other again. Good night, Taylor. Make sure to rest for school."
That made me snort a little. "Good night, Optimus."
Optimus drove off, and I let out a sigh of satisfaction.
It was a short jog back home. Mom was still asleep, and I took care to put away my gear and uniform before I slipped into bed. I felt exhausted, yet exhilarated at the same time, like somebody who'd just won a race.
Eventually, though, sleep found me, and I dreamt of glittering cities, inhabited by towering metal beings.
