I don't own anything except for my OC"s and some of the plot.
Suddenly all of the Autobots were staring at her in surprise, even their leader Optimus Prime was now eyeing her almost intensely, like he was looking for something, as to what? She had absolutely no idea.
Astrid looked back at Jack, Raf and Miko to see if they had any clue as to why she was suddenly the center of attention, but they all looked just as lost as she was.
Feeling very confused and even the tiniest bit unsettled by the many eyes that were drilling uncomfortably into her. "What!?" She finally burst out, not being able to withstand the tension that was suddenly around her. "Was it something that I said?" She asked feeling extremely bewildered by their unexpected and even weirder behavior at her supposedly simple sarcastic comment.
It seemed as if they were all snapped out of some sort of weird trance, because all of the Autobots in the room suddenly looked away from her as one, looking uncomfortable and somewhat sad, but Optimus continue to stare at her. Only this time instead of his glowing eyes looking intensely at her, she notes that there was now a deep sadness in them and... was that disappointment that she saw in them as well? Why would he be disappointed? Of her? But why? None of this made any sense to Astrid at all.
He seemed to have notice her growing bewilderment and concern, for his silver plated face changed into one of sadden disappointment to an understanding and reassuring expression towards her.
"Yes and no." He answered her question softly. "What you said just now was something that an old friend of ours used to say sometimes." He told her, but she could hear the wishful tone in his voice.
Astrid recognised that tone almost instantly, it was the same tone of voice that Eric would use on those extremely rare occasions where he would actually want to talk about Jacqueline with her, and she could only count how many times that had happened with one hand and still have some fingers left over.
"Oh." Was all that she could say to that, what else could she say. A strange mixer of curiosity and guilt suddenly came over her just then. Guilt for obviously bring up something that was painful for them to remember, and as for her curiosity, she wanted to know just who this apparent friend of theirs was. Were they human or were they Cybertronian? Were they dead or alive? Judging from the expressions on all of the Autobots faces this person was most likely dead.
Astrid was brought out of her thoughts as Optimus Prime moved to stand back up to his full height. "In any case, since now you know of our existent. I fear that as of last night, the Decepticons know of yours." He told them.
"Got it, if we spot any strange vehicles call 911. Can we go now?" Jack questioned impatiently.
Astrid whipped her head to look at him like he was crazy. Was he really serious about what he just said about calling the cops if they saw a Decepticon?
"Are you crazy?" She asked him incredulously.
"Yeah!" Miko exclaimed loudly while standing next to her, making Astrid jump a little in surprise at the sudden loud noise.
"I'm living in a dream here in bot sauna, and I am not going to let you or anyone else shatter it." Miko said while pointing a threatening finger at Jack.
There was a small moment of silence. "Umm." Astrid started to say. "That's not exactly what I meant, but I get your point." Astrid hesitantly said to Miko before quickly turning her attention back onto Jack to continue with telling him her problems with his supposed plan of action.
"What I want know is how do you expect some small town cops to actually be able to take down however many 20 or so foot tall of giant metal alien robots? They probably have of a more likelier chance of being flatten into pancakes than arresting them, and on that note, how would they even be able to arrest them in the first place?"
"Ok ok, I get it. Bad idea." He interrupted her before she could continue on with her nitpicking apart of his plan while holding up his hands in surrender.
"It is best that you four remain here under our watch, at least until we can determine our enemies intentions." Optimus told them before they could get into anymore arguments on the subject.
"Optimus, with all due respect the human children are in as much danger here as anywhere." Ratchet protested.
"Children?" Both Astrid and Jack question in indignation at the same time without noticing.
Ratchet continued on. "They have no protective shell, if they get underfoot they will go… squish." And with that, he demonstrated this by stomping his big metal foot at them. Astrid could feel Raf coming a little closer towards her as he took a step back from Ratchet's threatening foot.
And while Astrid didn't flinch like the others did at Ratchet's actions, but it still didn't mean that she couldn't feel the nervous that started to creep it's way up inside of her as the echoing sound of his foot meeting the ground rang in her ears with a forbidding clang.
"Then for the time being Ratchet, we must watch where we step." Optimus responded with a small amount of humor in his deep voice.
Suddenly green lights started flashing all around inside the main room while low level alarms went off in the Autobot's base.
All of Astrid's natural senses went on high alert at all of the loud noise and flashing lights. What was happening? Where they being attacked or was it something else?
"What's that?!" Jack asked in alarm.
It was Bumblebee who answered the question, but unfortunately they couldn't really understand that he was saying... well except for Raf of course, which reminded her, she needed to ask him about how he was even able to understand him when the others and herself couldn't even do that, but decided to ask him about it later.
"Proximity sensor, someone must be up top." Raf translated for those who didn't know how to speak Bumblebee.
"It's agent Fowler." Ratchet announced grimly.
'Agent?!' As in secret service or government!' Astrid thought in alarm, her eyes widening as panic spiked up like a geyser inside of her chest. But before she could completely lose herself in her rising panic and fear, she quickly shut her eyes closed and forced herself to take in deep and slow calming breaths. 'Inhale…and now exhale… Inhale...and exhale…' After a few more calming breaths, Astrid was able to open her eyes again, only feeling little more calmer now.
The breathing technique was something that she would use for whenever she felt one of her power attacks coming on, her powers were mostly connected with her emotions, which is why her powers would usually act out whenever she felt scared or just extremely emotional.
She suddenly noticed that Optimus was talking to them, but she was only able to catch the last bit of what he was saying. "It may be best if you do not meet him at this time." He told them.
Astrid had no disagreements with that. Quickly. Raf, Jack, Miko and Astrid raced to find a hiding spot, and they found one by hiding themselves behind a raised platform with a yellow staircase attached to it.
She listened as the elevator doors slid open and a male voice immediately starts talking in loud irritation. "Seven wrecks and thirdly four fender-benders, a three hour traffic jam, and a particular note, numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle of unknown make and a black and yellow custom muscle car."
During agent Fowler's rant, Astrid noticed that Jack was poking his head out to see what was going on, Astrid immediately slapped his arm to get his attention.
He whipped his head towards her and shot her with an irritated yet confused look.
"You're going to get us caught if you keep doing that." She whispered to him in warning.
He gave a nod of his head to show that he heard her and then went back to listening in on the conversation between the Autobot's and the agent.
"So, anything you care to get off your tin chest Prime?" Agent Fowler mockingly asked.
"We have the situation under control agent Fowler." Optimus told him calmly.
"They're back aren't they?" The agent asked, even though it sounded more like a statement than a question.
"If you are referring to the Descriptions, I have doubts that they ever left, your planet is much too valuable."
"Then it's time to wake up the Pentagon." Agent Fowler suggested.
"Hear me Agent Fowler, we are your best possibly your only defense against the Decepticon threat." Optimus advised the agent gravely.
"Says you." Argued Fowler.
"Hey fleshie!" Bulkhead called out suddenly. "Did anyone get splattered on that freeway? Team Prime knows when to use force, and how much to use." He said intimidatingly as he grabbed something that looked like a bigger version of a claw arm and then squeezed until it finally broke in his hand as smoke and fiery sparks spewed out of it.
Astrid felt a shiver of unease go through her as she imagined herself being in those hands as they squeezed the life out of her.
"BULKHEAD! I NEEDED THAT!" Ratchet exclaimed angrily.
"Enough." Optimus ordered before turning his full attention back onto Fowler.
"Military involvement will only result in catastrophe, perhaps you can condone widespread human casualties Agent Fowler, I however, cannot."
"Then do us both a favor and handle this Prime, under the radar." Agent Fowler said before walking back into the elevator.
"Or I will." Were his last words before the doors to the elevator closed.
Bulkhead moved to stand next to his leader. "Pretty big bearings, for a human."
"Agent Fowler is concerned for his world Bulkhead, as he should be." Optimus told him.
Astrid, Jack, Raf and Miko all sighed in relief simultaneously before they slowly started walking out from behind their hiding spot.
"Well, he sounded like a pretty happy guy." Jack said sarcastically.
Arcee gave an amused snort. "Agent Fowler is anything but happy most of the time."
Shaking her head, Astrid started to move toward the stairs to get a better look around the place, but for just that one split second she forgot about her injured ankle and put to much weight on it.
"Ow… Stupid-" Astrid hissed in pain as she grabbed ahold of the yellow railing to keep her balance.
Both Bumblebee and Raf were the first ones to hear her hiss of pain since they were the closest to her.
"Astrid, are you okay?" Raf asked in concern as he walked up to her. She also heard Bee talking to her as will, but as usual she didn't understand a word that he was saying.
She put on her signature closed lip smile, which even she could feel was a bit strained at best, but it was important for her to not have Raf needlessly worrying about her.
"Yeah I'm fine. I just - Hey!" She exclaimed as she suddenly felt a weird sensation going through her, snapped her head around to find the source of it. And she found that it was Ratchet, and he was scanning her, without her permission might she add.
"What are you doing?" She demanded annoyedly up at him, hands on her hips. How did she not hear him coming towards her? Either he was that good or her hearing was finally going bad from playing her music a little too loud at night.
"I'm scanning for any injuries that you obviously have." he answered dryly as he looked at the medical computer on his arm.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Astrid stared up at him in slight irritation.
"I'm fine." She answered tensely. "I just stubbed my toe was all."
"Oh really," He scoffed back at her. "Because from what my scans say is that you have a sprained ankle."
"Astrid." She heard Jack say from her left.
She turned her head in his direction, before tilting her head slightly in question at him.
He had an unreadable expression on his face as he stared at her. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked her softly.
She snorted without any real humor in it before saying. "Well I'm sorry, but we were a little busy with trying to not get shot and crush into meaty puddles on the ground by giant freakin robots at the time... Besides I didn't even start to feel it until this morning." That was a bit of a lie, she actually started to feel the pain as they were walking through the tunnels, but no need for them to know that.
"Either way, if you will allow me, l would like to examine your injury in order to make sure that there is no permanent damage to your leg." Ratchet offered, although it sounded more like an order than an actual request.
"Really it's fine," She insisted exasperatedly up to him. "I'm a fast healer, I should be back to normal in no time by tomorrow."
His glowing turquoises narrowed down at her. "Fast healer or not, it would be best if you allow me to look at it." He argued sharply back at her.
"I…" She started to say before she suddenly felt small hands as they gently grabbed ahold of her lower left arm in a slightly desperate attempt to get her attention.
She swiftly turned her head down towards Raf, who was looking up at her in concern with his big chocolate brown eyes. She looked at him with a silent question in her own golden hazel eyes.
"Just…" He started to say quietly up to her. "Just let him take a look at it…. Please." He begged to her.
She looked down at Raf for a few more seconds before closing her eyes and sighing in defeat. "Alright." She muttered reluctantly.
A/N: Hey everyone, I'm so sorry for taking so long, I actually meant to post this months ago, but things happened in my life that made it difficult for me personally to write anything at that moment. But now I'm back and will post the next chapter as soon as possible.
Thank you for all of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed this story. It means a lot to me.
And also please review or PM me, getting feedback no matter how small it is helps a lot with my writing process. Again thank you and I hope that you are enjoying the story.