A/N we get a little story about Ellen...wait a story within a story :O...yeah i'm not gonna do an inception joke :P
Deus Ex Machina... Wait what is that?
I was in my room; my right arm was giving me trouble today again, i had no idea why. But it wasn't going away and sooner or later I'd have to let Ratchet have a look. I moved it in a circular pattern, which caused it to make a loud clunky noise and it wouldn't stop! So every time i moved my arm it would make that noise and it was very noticeable. Luckily Miko was having a loud discussion with Bulkhead and that drowned out the sound, i think they were talking about a career choice or something.
"I'm detecting a fresh energon pulse, from the nation called... Greece. An ancient city quite historic i believe." Ratchet said with his optics focused on the computer screen.
"Ancient Greece huh, oh field trip." Bulkhead said. Then turned to Miko. "How about it Miko wanna check out Greece?"
"Never been and I'll be with you so, yes!" Miko exclaimed. Ratchet put in the co-ordinates as Bulkhead jogged through the Groundbridge making Miko run after him "hey wait up!" she cried.
I then made my way up the stairs where Jack was standing rubbing my arm as i winced. "Hey Ratchet. Mind having a look at my arm its giving me some trouble." I asked slightly hunching.
He then scanned me without warning. "Hmm, nothing to be concerned about it's just adjusting to the constant exposure to different temperature climates. You'll be fine as long as you stay in one place more than a day." He lectured.
"What do you mean adjusting?" i asked.
"It's expanding and constricting." He said.
"Whoa. It's not gonna explode out of my arm is it?" i asked concerned holding my arm.
"Like i said before, nothing to be concerned about." He sighed.
"I've never heard anything like that happening before" Jack said intrigued. "My Mom's a nurse, so i know a little about muscles in the body and things like that. Can i?" he motioned to my arm.
"Well...i...sure." i hesitated.
Jack then put two hands on shoulder trying to loosen it up i think then he had a bizarre look on his face. "Hmm, your arm feels...very stiff...mind if i?" he then motioned to go further down my arm.
"Yeah sure it doesn't hurt as much there." i said.
He then firmly pressed down on my arm to the tips of my fingers. "What is that?" he said to himself, his eyes wandered as i saw a pretty worried expression on his face.
"My arm, do you mind i feel like play doh." I said.
"Oh sorry." He said releasing my arm.
"It's cool" i decided to quickly change the topic. "We shouldn't hang around here all the time, we should go somewhere." I suggested.
Jack thought for a moment as he shook his head of whatever it was he was thinking, "Remember that this is Jasper." he said.
"We could Groundbridge somewhere; we got a considerate amount of Energon at the moment." I said.
"That could all change you know, but maybe we can make it a once every so often thing." Jack grinned. "I've always wanted to go to Vegas." He then laughed.
"Or Australia I've always wanted to see the great barrier reef as well as other places." I said.
"One day." Jack said.
"One day." I said "preferably at night when they're all in recharge." I winked.
Jack puffed a laugh. "I doubt all of them would be in recharge."
i shrugged, "then i shall show you the way of the 'bored teenager'."
"and that, works?" he said raising an eyebrow.
"well, thirty-five percent of the time." i said scratching my head.
Then Ratchet opened the Groundbridge again though we weren't really paying attention, and Bulkhead and Miko came back through it, it was a pretty quick visit though.
"That, was awesome!" Miko announced.
"What was?" Jack asked.
"Bulkhead had a throw down match with a con, and we found this round ball thing on a stone wall and then, Bulkhead broke it, but its fine because i took a picture, but the con fled before Bulkhead could finish him off." Miko said in one breath.
"Well i already have a million questions." I said cocking an eyebrow.
"Ratch, check this out. Miko show him the picture." Bulkhead said.
Sure enough Miko flipped her cell phone out and showed him the image.
I lent over the railings as i tried to see what is was he was showing him, and from Ratchets awed expression it was pretty good I'm guessing. "Looks like an Energon harvester, Optimus we've found something." Ratchet called.
Dad came walking in, had a look at the picture himself then turned to the computer screen with the location of the picture Ratchet had brought up. "It is indeed an Energon harvester. A powerful tool created by the ancients to remove raw energon from any source." He said.
"Greek gods knew Autobots?" Raf asked.
"No. The ancients often used the art of a given error to conceal messages. This fresco was likely a sign post indicating a harvesters location hidden somewhere on this planet." he explained.
"Uh, Optimus? If the harvester remove's Energon from anything and you all have Energon pumping inside you…" Jack started.
"In Decepticon hands the harvester would be a devastating weapon." Dad finished.
"See! You were a genius to total that painting!" Miko said to Bulkhead.
"Miko's not wrong, how can the cons find the harvester without the fresco?" Arcee added.
"With high speed internet?" Raf said. "If you do an image search for Greek god and golden orb this pops up, it's in a museum." Raf then showed an image of a Greek statue holding a rather large golden orb.
"That the real deal?" Arcee asked Dad.
"Contact agent Fowler" he answered with.
Ratchet then attempted to contact Agent Fowler. An image of Fowler then popped up on the screen "You've reached Special Agent William Fowler; I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday" came the voice of Fowler. voice mail, great.
"I hate talking to machines" Ratchet growled.
"Now what?" i asked.
"Without Agent Fowler's direct aid, we will have to confiscate the harvester on our own." Dad said.
"Whoa whoa whoa, confiscate? As in steal museum property?" Jack asked shocked.
"That sounds… illegal." Raf said.
"I do not wish to break Human law, but once the Decepticons learn of the harvester's location, they will not hesitate to obtain it by any means necessary" Dad told us. "We must act covertly"
"Uh, okay, no offense Optimus, but covertly and giant robots don't really go together, museums are public, and they have guards, and security cameras." Jack said.
"No problem!" Miko announced. "We're small enough to sneak in and we're not a government secret!" Miko said flexing about, is she on red bull?
"Miko, I'm not sure that's wise…" Bulkhead said.
"But it may be our best option Bulkhead. The longer we debate, the more time we give the Decepticons." Dad said.
"So what's the plan?" i asked.
"We will Groundbridge just outside the museum, and then we will be on our guard for any Decepticons that may infiltrate the museum." Dad explained.
"Then we Groundbridge inside the museum and grab the harvester." Jack said.
"We'll need something to get up there to avoid climbing the damn thing, I'll go look in the 'we might need it one day' storage room." I said chuckling awkwardly.
I went to storage; the room was full of stuff you would get rid of at a garage sale. "Hey that might work." I thought eyeing up a particular object. I jumped into it, "hey these must be the controls" i thought as i moved the analog stick to go forward i looked left and right as i let out a slight giggle he-he this is fun. "Wow i may never use my legs again." I then speeded back into the main room using the thing like a go kart, why have i not seen this before, this is awesome.
"What is that?" Miko asked sounding like I'd just threw a brick at her head.
"It's a scissor lift, we'll go in, make this thing go up, grab the harvester, make it go down, boom, get out of there, done." I said being blunt.
Dad then turned to Ratchet, "Ratchet activate the Groundbridge." He told him then focused on us, "Prepare yourselves."
The Groundbridge came on and Dad, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead all transformed and went straight through the Groundbridge. Now we have to play the waiting game.
Jack, Miko and Raf all jumped into the scissor lift with me. "You wanna handle the controls?" I said to Jack, i was slightly worried that i might enjoy this a little too much.
"Sure." he replied.
"Ellen, Jack, Miko, Rafael, I will have a clear view of you" came Dads voice over the comm link. "Once you secure the harvester I will contact Ratchet to bridge you back to base."
On cue Ratchet opened the groundbridge and we were ready and waiting. "Now since you'll bypass all points on normal entry you won't need to worry about setting off the alarm, but take care to avoid any security guards." Ratchet explained.
Then Jack drove us through the Groundbridge sure enough we were inside the museum we scanned the room for the harvester. There was a t-rex skeleton, isn't there always? An Easter Island head and...The Greek statue holding the harvester.
"opa." Miko whispered.
"What? Never mind." i said.
Dad then flashed his headlights at us giving us the clear, Jack nodded in response. With our target in view, Jack got the scissor lift to go up towards the security camera. Then Miko got out her cell phone, looked through the camera to get an accurate angle, took a picture and then placed her phone over the camera.
With that done we made our way to the statue, Jack, Miko and Raf was struggling to get the thing down. I then looked to my right to notice a missile was coming our way! Dad quickly transformed and caught it. But was forcing him backwards towards the museum, he stopped it but without cracking the window first.
Jack, Miko and Raf looked to see what had happened. Dad turned to us, and then looked forward again. Then this Decepticon had this rod of electricity with a prod on the end, and rammed it into Dads neck, he stumbled forward before hitting the floor. I could only watch on as the flashy looking Decepticon jumped on his back and repeated the process.
"Its cons" Raf said grimly.
"They've got Optimus." Jack said.
"Where are the others?" i said slightly annoyed.
"They might be dealing with other Decepticons; the way we can help is to get this harvester down." Jack said.
"You're right i was being selfish." i said shaking my head i then moved myself forward, "step aside I'll get the thing down." I said stepping in front of Jack. Just then the alarm went off as the flashy Decepticon was force thrown into the museum.
I then placed my right arm under the harvester and heaved the thing off the hand and into the lift. I then grabbed Raf off the hand. "Let's roll." I simply said. The others gaped there mouths at me. Jack shook his head and then lowered the lift.
"Come on time to make our exit guys." Miko announced. She then hopped out of the lift and ran ahead. I jumped out too; Jack and Raf drove on ahead. "Everyone's still functioning, good" i thought. As i looked onto the battle outside. Then i made my way back to the others. I came across the scissor lift, with no Jack, no Raf and no harvester!
"What happened?" i said slightly anxious.
"Soundwave came in and grabbed the harvester." Jack said sounding frustrated.
"Scrap!" i said slamming my fist into a wall, i had caused a crack which carried on all the way to ceiling.
"Ellen...how are you able..." Jack started.
"Where's Miko?" i said.
"Security guard got her." Raf said starting to panic.
"Well we can't go in and get her we'd all be in the scrap; at least she's out of harm's way, now lets get out of here." I said as we went through the garage style door, we then ran to the front of the museum.
"What we're just gonna leave Miko?" Jack said.
"We'll get Agent Fowler to take care of it, i feel bad for leaving her too Jack but it'll be fine in the end trust me." I told him.
"Speaking of which i have a few questions for you when this is over." Jack said slightly frowning.
"That's fine." I replied looking to the floor, we finally came round the front and we had come in sight of all Autobots except for Arcee.
"Cons have the harvester!" Jack informed them.
"And security has Miko!" Raf added.
"What? I'm going in after her" Bulkhead about to charge in there but was stopped by Dad.
"Bulkhead. Miko may be detained, but she is safe from harm." Dad told him. "Ratchet re-open the arrival co-ordinates."
Me and Jack both got into Dads cab, we drove towards the now opened Groundbridge and Arcee had met up with us. We got back to base and no time was wasted as Dad had assigned Arcee and Bumblebee to scout out and found any signs of activity from Starscream and the harvester, Dad set up his own co-ordinates as he too was about to join the others in the search.
"Bulkhead. It is best that you remain here." he said.
"So i can bust Miko out of the museum?" Bulkhead said frantically.
"So you can help Ratchet, you may be Miko's guardian. But she requires human assistance, Agent Fowler remains her best option." Dad told him. Before he himself transformed and exited through the Groundbridge.
Bulkheads mouth dropped.
Raf it seems had tried to contact Fowler again as we heard the same answer message again.
"Still no answer." Raf informed Bulkhead.
"Fowlers lounging around some poolside co banner!" Bulkhead said as he threw his fist down on one of Ratchets tools.
"Bulkhead! I needed that!" Ratchet yelled.
"We can free Miko, if we just return the harvester to the museum." Bulkhead said.
"So the Decepticons can steal it all over again?" Ratchet pointed out.
You could tell the wheels in Bulkheads head were working overtime as he was constantly blinking. "I am so dumb!" he cried pressing his hands over his head in frustration.
"So how are we going to help Miko?" Jack asked.
"By returning this replica to the museum." Ratchet explained holding up a half made harvester look alike "The construction of which would be going a lot faster if Bulkhead hadn't just mangled my frame welder!" he yelled.
"We're already trespassers and thieves; why not add forgery to the list." Jack said.
Bulkhead then vented his frustration. "Uh, i wish i had never took Miko to the...the painting of the harvester isn't the only thing we found at the ruins." He then said.
"I'm sorry?" Ratchet said confused.
"Starscream is not dumb, no matter what kind of tool his has, he's going to take the easy route." Bulkhead explained.
"So he'll go to the Energon that has already been dug up." I said understanding.
"Exactly. Ratch groundbridge me there. I'll get that harvester back." Bulkhead said confidently.
"We should contact Optimus first." Ratchet advised.
"What, and let Starscream drain the Energon dry? There's no time Ratch, we have to act now." Bulkhead retaliated.
"fine." Ratchet simply said before activating the groundbridge.
Bulkhead ran through it at high speed, "He seriously needs to slow down a bit." i said slightly concerned.
"I'll contact Optimus anyway. Bulkhead may require back up." Ratchet said before contacting him over the comm link, through a personal comm link. I went to sit on the sofa i hated standing up for too long amd Jack joined me.
He cleared his throat to tell me he was about to talk. "Question one." He said lightly jesting.
"Really? Now?" i said crossing my legs.
"Yes now, i need peace of mind." He replied.
"Okay what do you want to know?" i asked.
"Well let's see, that harvester weighed a ton, us three couldn't even budge it and then you come in and lift it up by yourself. Not to mention when you hit your fist into that wall you put a crack in it Earthquake style, mind giving me some back story?" Jack said sounding very concerned right now.
I sighed. "Okay how do i start? Okay first my arm...well the skeleton part is made of parts from Dads arm." i said lightly.
Jack rested his hand into his chin looking 'drone' like in expression, "H-How? w-what...okay h-h-hold on i need-i need to think of the right question." Jack sat there thinking for a while as he cleared his throat. "Okay, how did your arm get that way in the first place?" he finally said trying to control his breathing.
i held a hand around my arm, "Well, it was about two years ago; see there are some perks with being partnered with an alien robot. The government gave me appropriate accommodation to act as another base for the Autobots if need be." I started.
"When you say appropriate accommodation?" jack asked.
"Okay, okay they gave me a mansion with a lawn about five football pitches long." I said.
"You...have...to invite...me over sometime." Jack said having difficulty breathing.
"Of course. But anyway the base was made underneath, see i had two homes, the N.E.S.T base and the mansion, but only when i was an appropriate age, i would go back and forth all the time, see when i was living at base i would always be in the same room as Dad or he was literally feet away which isn't that bad as a little kid but when you get to be a teenager you kind of want your own space, when they came up with the mansion idea i was over the moon, i had my own room, my own space and it wasn't far from the regular base so Dad was okay with that. but of course there was always that huge risk to go with it, i was living there as well, so i was at a huge disadvantage if the Decepticons found this base...which an Autobot who will not be named carelessly gave away." I said gripping my arm firmly.
"They...they found you?" Jack asked concerned.
"Yes, but mistook the actual building for the base, well it was big enough I'll give them that." I then sat in silence for a while before continuing. "I was at the far end of the building when...Starscream fired a missile...the whole building collapsed. The debris didn't fall on me completely it fell in a triangle position like if you were stacking cards, but my right arm got completely torn off...it was crushed under this pillar but i had panicked and tried to pull myself out...i-i had never known such pain."
Jack then bit his lip and held onto his own arm.
"I was bleeding, a lot, and i blacked out seconds later. When i woke up i was back at the N.E.S.T base..."
"N.E.S.T base? that again, what is it?" Jack suddenly cut in.
"Just another base anyway my arm was covered but not in bandages, but in a white blanket like it was being kept hidden. I was stupid enough to have a peak, my muscle and skin wasn't there, it was just this skinny metal skeleton arm like i was a god damn Terminator!" i said angrily.
Jack looked at me with widened eyes; he's never seen me angry before.
"I'm sorry, i-i mean just remembering what i looked like...I'm still...pretty pissed off with Starscream...and not because he nearly killed me and not because of this arm, but because my Dog and Cat could've been in the house." I said with a slight laugh.
Jack laughed too but it was an awkward kind of laugh not that i blame him, I've done about five emotions in three minutes. "Its fine, so what happened next." Jack asked listening intently.
"Well what was weird was that within hours, my muscle and skin from my shoulder formed around the metal to make up my now healed arm. Even though Ratchet explained it all i didn't get any of it, my guess is because its living metal that my skin was able to form around it." I explained.
"And the metal came from Optimus' arm?" Jack asked.
"Yes, they have metal to spare, like how we don't really need our appendix. Plus the size of my arm is like a flake of skin in comparison." I said.
"And i guess you get the arm strength of a Cybertronian too?" Jack said.
"Just this arm yeah but it was troublesome to start with i wasn't adjusted to the sudden strength i had gained in that arm, i had to do a lot of training to be able to use it like i would've my old arm, but i use the strength side of it for certain situations like lifting heavy objects beyond a three man job, but i do worry." I said.
"about what?" he asked.
"Well i can be calm sure, but everyone has there limit, i've noticed when i get angry or-or confused i suddenly lose all control over the strength of my arm, as i demonstrated back at the museum."
"Sure but that was a wall." he said.
"exactly, what if one day it wasn't a wall? I could..." i stopped as rubbed my arm and looked to my knees. All the time i was telling Jack this, there was a lot of Ground bridging going on in the background, i looked behind to see what was happening before i felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Look, you won't okay?, i wish you'd have told me before though." Jack said in a slight betrayed tone. "But it's understandable." He then said in a more accepting voice.
"you know they say if a man is convinced he's going to die tomorrow, he'll probably do what he can to make that happen." i said.
"then your giving yourself advice." he jested.
"yeah, i don't really listen to myself though, i do droll on a bit." i jested back.
"Still, that's pretty deep." he said.
"actually I'm just quoting heh." i jested.
Jack shook his head lightly, "Well, i know we haven't known each for a lifetime but you know, if there's any other stuff you wanna talk about, if you've got an evil twin or a criminal record, I'm just sitting here on the couch." he said as he lightly tapped my arm.
I couldn't help but have a big smile on my face, only my closest friends had known about the attack and my arm, being able to tell someone else has made me feel a lot more comfortable and made this place feel more homely."I'll remember that, but could you fill in the details if Miko and Raf ask?" i said.
"Sure, shall we see what's been going on? Because I've seen about four green flashes." Jack jested.
"Yeah see? we probably would have a meteorite pass by our heads and we'd miss it." I replied
Raf was typing away at his computer, and all Autobots were present in the room, Bulkhead was sat on the floor looking very lethargic.
"What happened?!" I asked frantically, we really did miss a meteorite.
"The harvester was destroyed, but Bulkhead had a lot of Energon pulled from him." Arcee said.
"He'll be fine when we get some Energon in him." Ratchet said going down the hallway to retrieve said Energon.
"Did anyone manage to get a hold of Fowler?" Jack asked.
"Agent Fowler will be here shortly to deliver the replica to the museum." Dad said.
"Then Miko will be free to go." I said as i found myself yawning.
"Not a late person are you?" Jack said.
i stretched, "If i didn't have my phone alarm, I'd be in an eternal slumber you know what I'm saying?"
As it was getting late Jack and Raf got taken home, Bulkhead was on his way to pick up Miko from the museum and i went to bed. I took a long look at my hand; even though it's hidden i know it's there. It's a constant reminder of that day, but i can't hold on to anger it wouldn't accomplish anything, I'll just treat Starscream like any other jerk. Mature name calling.
A/N Speed metal next and Ellens into illegal street racing :O lol