Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.
SMALL MERCIES
Chapter 11: Break in the Storm
NEST Base, one hour later:
The hot desert winds whipped across the tarmac, as Air Force-One stood poised to taxi onto the main runway: every preparation that could be completed on short notice had been undertaken and double-checked, in readiness for the President's departure. With his entourage and security detail already aboard: Lawrence was the last to ascend the gangway; but not before stopping a brief moment at the bottom of the stairs, to bid his brother and sister-in-law one last farewell...
Despite the events of the last hour, that uncomfortable unease was still hanging in the air, as Lawrence tried to find the right words that might end this whole day on a good note. But, considering everything that had happened today: nothing came to mind, except: "...I'm sorry...for everything"
Jason wasn't comfortable replying at first: as he opened his mouth, but found nothing to say; at first, and then all he could say was: "...I know..."
"I promise, I will make this right" Lawrence stated weakly,
"I hope so" Jason sighed, "'Cuz God only knows Lawrence: you can't let her do this anymore: not to you, not to us, not to anyone"
"I'll talk with her; tell her there are going to be some changes. She won't be calling the shots anymore"
"...You do know this means you might have to step down as President?" Jason pointed out,
"I do..." Lawrence hesitated, "...But then, I wasn't really President to begin with..." he looked Jason in the eye, "...All my life, I've been living her life; the goals she was never able to accomplish: I had to do that for her"
"Then don't you think it's time you started living for yourself?" Jason stepped forward, "Just-...promise me you'll call if you need help?"
Lawrence chanced an uneasy smile: "Promise" he replied as he started walking up the stairs: "You know Jason? You did good for yourself"
"I know" he sighed,
After the President had boarded, and the door was sealed shut: Jason and Beverly were escorted back to where Colonel Bishop and Major Lennox were waiting by the auxiliary hangers. As the aircraft started steadily moving towards the main runway: everyone watched as Air-Force One got into position, fired up its engines, and thundered down the runway, gracefully arching up into the air, climbing higher and higher into the endless blue sky...
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Lennox asked offhand in concern,
"...I really don't know? ..." Jason replied frankly as he watched the plane disappear up into the low-lying clouds: "...All this time I thought he was the strongest of us; now? I don't know what to believe?"
"All things considered; you can't blame him for his fears" the colonel sighed sympathetically: "How can anyone be expected to live with a secret like that? And not suffer"
As Jason thought about it, the more he began to wonder, if maybe part of all this was his fault in some way? That maybe, if he asked his big brother why he was so hard on him all the time, that if he tried to be more compassionate and asked him what was wrong, that maybe he'd have opened up to him sooner, and something could have been done to prevent all this? How many chances had he missed over the years? All those times he'd believed Lawrence was a bully, and it never once crossed his mind that there may have been a reason why he was like that? That he wasn't just a heartless mummy's boy blindly following orders: that maybe it was something deeper? And not for the reasons he thought it had always been?
His stomach sank to the pit of his abdomen, as he started guilt-tripping through his past; 'I should have known' he told himself: "...He's my brother...All this time, I never once had an inkling that anything was wrong...I should have known"
"No" Beverly placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's not your fault...How can anyone be expected to-
"-But I'm the one who ran away" Jason frowned, "...Why couldn't he have just told me?! Why did he have to go it alone like that? Why couldn't he just-...be honest with me?"
"We all go to extreme lengths to protect the ones we love," Bishop mused aloud, "Even if that means having to push them away; as hard-handed as his line of logic may have been: he did it to protect you, and Reggie"
"Are you going to be okay?" Will asked concernedly, "If, you're worried about your safety we can-
"No it-" Beverly hesitated, "It's alright, really: after everything that's happened today we don't want to put you to anymore trouble"
"It's no trouble at all Mrs Waineright" the colonel assured her, "We're not short of space here at NEST: and since you and your family are 'dead': it would be most strange if the neighbors see you're still alive. You might want to think about finding a good place to hide for a while"
"Oh god!-" Beverly suddenly remembered, "Do you really think those photo's will convince everyone we're dead?"
Flashback: fifteen minutes ago:
"...Okay, done!" Lizzy smiled as she clicked the save icon, and clicked the print button; out of the printer at the other end of the room, the photographs slowly came out, and after the first one was complete, Hailey picked it up, and was astounded by what she saw: "Holy crap Lizzy, this is amazing"
"I know right?" Lizzy got up from the desk and came over to the printer,
"Where the hell did you learn to use Photoshop like this?" Hailey passed the photo to Glen and the Colonel, "Damn girl you're a pro! Even I can't get this level of detail!" Glen stared wide-eyed at the photo.
"I have to admit" the colonel blinked in surprise, "I was quite skeptical about this plan: but I think we might just be able to pull it off"
"Are the photo's ready yet?" Jason asked as he walked into the room: buttoning up his newly-acquired shirt, as a towel sat around his neck to stop his wet hair from dripping on his collar: "Just printing them off now" Hailey replied,
"-Whoa" Jason stared at the photo in astonishment, "I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but wow"
"You got a piece of metal going straight through your heart and lungs: of course it's not meant to be pretty" Lizzy rolled her eyes, "Speaking of which: has the doc signed off on those death certificates yet?"
"I'll send them to the White House tomorrow: we have to make it look like the doctor's had time to conduct a full postmortem examination: twenty four hours is the average minimum time period for an exam to take place" the colonel explained,
"Yeah, but it ain't like he needed to figure out how they 'died', I mean, look" Glen pointed to the photo,
The last forty five or so minutes had been quite odd to say the least: trying to fake one's death (or multiple deaths in this case) with evidence to show for it was not an easy task; but somehow, Lizzy, along with her sisters/cousins, and the VW sisters help: had managed to pull it off.
To ensure the cause of death would not be questionable: Lizzy went the whole nine yards, and made it look like Hailey and her entire family had died when part of the suspended walkway in the corridors collapsed on them.
First, they collected some of the torn up metal from the walkways, and with the VW sister's help, cut and welded several lengths of metal pipes and rods that had large yet thin arches in them, each measured to fit the Waineright's individual waistlines and chests. Next, after gathering all the necessary ingredients from the mess, Lizzy and her sisters had created a large quantity of fake blood: and after finding and prepping a camera, were ready to begin.
After a few minor additional touches, like ripping up part of their clothing and trying their best to 'look dead', the Waineright's had the metal fitted around their torso's; like one of those old fashioned 'arrow through the head' gags, at the right angle it looked like they had large pieces of metal going straight through them, and coupled with the blood, it certainly looked convincing enough. After the photo shoot, Lizzy then took the camera, linked it up to Glen's laptop, and with the help of Photoshop, tweaked a few elements: such as skin colour, texture, lighting and shadows, noise, and a few other things that were subtle, but would be noticeable upon inspection. After a quick shower (the fact the showers worked at all without power was incredible: having to use the manual pump to make sure the water flowed was hard work) and a change of clothes to get rid of the fake blood, the Waineright's were done, and ready to hand the photos over to Lawrence, as proof of his family's 'demise'.
As Lawrence looked over the other photos coming out of the printer, he was impressed by the younger Ainsley girl's talent for photo-manipulation: though in the back of his mind, there was that nagging doubt as to whether this would work or not: "Where on earth did you learn how to do this?"
"Ah-" Lizzy sheepishly grinned, "Let's just say, it never hurts to learn how to fake your own death"
Both the colonel and the president looked at one another, what did she mean by that? Seeing the bewilderment on their faces, Chelsea filled them in: "When you've been pranking and punking for as long as she has, you make a few enemies along the way"
Deciding not to want to know the details, Lawrence left it at that: "Well, in any case: they certainly look convincing"
"As long as you remember to turn on the waterworks when 'breaking the news' to mom, it'll hold. At least, to buy you guy's some time to find somewhere to hide" Lizzy glanced over at Jason and Beverly, "You know? I hear Mexico's real nice this time of year"
Present:
"If they don't, they don't: all we need is the time to get you somewhere safe. And as long as you don't use your computers, cell phones or credit cards, you'll be okay" Lennox explained.
"Colonel, if you've got room here at NEST, would it be too much to ask if we can stay here?" Jason asked tentatively, "Right now, I can't think of anywhere more secret or secure, and until Lawrence sorts mom and Antony out, we better keep our heads down"
"Oh god-" Beverly suddenly thought, "I just remembered, what about the restaurant?"
"Casey's a capable guy, he'll do fine without you" Jason assured her, "...Actually, if we're gonna be gone awhile, we better go home and grab some essentials"
"Don't use your own vehicle, the license plate will be spotted at least a dozen times before you even reach Tranquility: take one of the auxiliary cars from the machine shop" the Colonel suggested.
"I'll go get the keys; if you two want to follow me?" Lennox gestured for them to follow, and they went with him back to the entrance of the base.
As he gazed out over the desert, Bishop couldn't help but contemplate the day's events: everything that had happened, and what a mess it had been. Deciding to head back inside, he went the other way, towards the open-air hanger's entrance...
Flashback: fifty five minutes ago, down in the human med-unit:
As Josie lay on the gurney, half in and out of consciousness: Jeanie sat by her side, keeping an eye on her and tending to her wounds, while outside in the corridor: Darren was standing on Optimus's shoulder, while Trailbreaker and Skywarp stood alongside, listening in as Darren relayed the whole story of what he and his cousins did while they were 'MIA'...
"After we teleported back, that's when we split up, and, well? Everything kinda went from there," Darren finished.
Prime looked over at Skywarp: "It's true" the seeker nodded, "Those humans knew I was hiding in that lake. I was skeptical of their intentions at first, naturally. But when they showed me the live-camera feed of the police raid on Beller's house, I nearly panicked; but then, when they showed me the feed of the kids escaping through the tunnels, what else could I do?"
Staring off into space with a deep look of thought in his optics, Prime contemplated all that he had been told: "There's something else going on here" he thought aloud,
"I thought as much too" Darren concurred anxiously, "Looking back on what happened: I've got the distinct feeling that Amy isn't the one calling the shots here...She said, there're those who have a vested interest in seeing NEST fall: and those, who want to see it remain intact. Look, I know what I did was reckless, but we may have stumbled onto something way bigger here"
"Agreed" Prime quietly stated, "And the next time you decide to be 'reckless', make sure you clear it with me first, understand?" he glanced sideways at the teen; "Yes sir" Darren bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"But the question now is: if Broadsword's got an opponent that's got our back, doesn't that make them an ally?" Trailbreaker asked offhand,
"Broadsword may have an enemy, but that doesn't make them our friend. They're not the same thing. We don't know of their intentions, and to presume anything further at this point would be dangerous. We can only manage one crisis at a time" Optimus clarified, "And besides: I have questions that need answering"
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Darren asked offhand, "With everything going on right now, should you be leaving the base?"
"With a capable teleporter at hand" Prime glanced at Skywarp; "We'll keep it quick and discreet"
Overhearing the conversation outside, Jeanie took that as a cue to start getting Josie ready to be moved: "I'm scared" Josie whimpered softly,
"Huh?" Jeanie didn't quite catch what she said,
"I did bad things. I hurt people. What's going to happen to me?" she sobbed as tears welled up in her eyes.
With no real answer to give, Jeanie merely replied: "... You're going to be okay"
Darren interrupted as he walked up to the gurney. "Um? Josie? We're going to take you to see Amy now"
"Amy?" she smiled,
"Yeah... But uh, there's someone who'd like to meet her; and you, if, that's okay? ..." he asked anxiously, unsure if this would work,
At the same time, in the Med-bay:
As Ratchet removed the BSHB from Miles's back, the Autobot medic was careful to place the unit in a reinforced box that had multiple locks on it, alongside the other BSHB's that had been removed. Once the devices were offlined and powered down, Ratchet handed the box to Wheeljack: "Make sure you put them in the vault, and ask Red Alert to put a double check on the security system around the lab once the power's back up and running"
With that taken care of, the medic turned his attention back to Ashley, who was lying asleep on the bot-sized berth nearby, with his father sitting alongside, and his cousin's and guardian standing next to him: with Ravage sitting upright at the head of the berth, keeping a watchful optic over the family. While Que was busy analyzing the incoming data from the medical scanners, Sam and Mikaela stood on the nearby counter with Bumblebee at their side, an uneasy silence hung in the air, before John spoke up. "... So what happened?"
"It would seem..." Que sheepishly replied, "There has been another 'development': one that wasn't there before, when we ran the micro-dissection of the hemogon..." he pointed to the monitor above the berth, "This time, I checked everything I could think of, and when I scanned Ashley's DNA again, this turned up..." a picture of human chromosomes appeared on the monitor, all twenty three pairs, with the acceptation of one small difference...
"What's that?" Morri pointed to the small anomaly in the picture,
"A twenty-forth pair of chromosomes, fused into one" Que replied, "It would appear that Ashley's new form came from this chromosome: we've only just started analyzing it, but from what we've found thus far, it would appear that the genetic sequencing for the transformation is stored within it"
"But if that's an extra chromosome, how come he doesn't have Down's syndrome?" Danny thought aloud,
"No, it's not that; Down's syndrome is a genetic disorder, caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21," Que pointed to said chromosome on the monitor, "This chromosome," he pointed to the twenty-forth one, "Is something entirely different: over ninety percent of it is comprised of CNA, with the remainder comprising of carbon-based DNA...We don't know enough conclude anything at this point: but from what's happened so far, I think it's a fair assumption that whatever's going on inside the boy, hasn't finished yet"
"...That doesn't sound good" Morri worried,
"This is my fault" Ravage growled in a stubborn tone,
"What?" Tom blinked in surprise
"I have neglected my duties as his tutor: being so wrapped up in my creator's return, and re-establishing our bond; I didn't take his needs into consideration" the panther-drone dropped his head and turned away in shame,
"What? No, this wasn't your fault, none of us saw this coming" Morri was quick to assure him,
"It's no excuse!" Ravage growled, "I didn't even smell anything was different about him: had I maintained my diligence, I might have anticipated something was going on. Instead, here we are, having bared witness to this new 'transformation', and being none the wiser" he bitterly stated.
Everyone looked at him in confusion: Ravage, self-loathing? This was not like him at all, (mostly because everyone had assumed he hadn't the humility for it)
"Now you're just being ridiculous" Soundwave groggily stated as he came around, and turned his head to face them,
"Finally" Ratchet sighed with relief, "Are you alright?"
"Hard to say," Soundwave sat up on the berth and rubbed his helm: "That EMP caught me off guard; but something-, I don't know what, but something wasn't right" he stated, as the other drones began to stir. On the next few berths over, Crystalwing and her family began to gain consciousness too. Gazing up at his creator as he got back on his feet and approached the berth, Ravage couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and guilt (which internally annoyed him to no end, he hated such emotions). Soundwave merely smiled down at him like an understanding father: picked him up, and held him in his arms like a human would a cat, stroking him with one free hand.
"Always quick to assume the worse hm?" he smiled,
"It's called being responsible: which I wasn't," the panther grumbled stubbornly,
"Being part of our family bond does not mean you're obligated to drop everything else: and having friends outside the bond does not equate to going behind our backs; you are allowed to have a life outside of the family you know?"
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a brief moment, before the panther sighed, "...You were gone for so long; I just didn't-
"-I know" Soundwave was quick to assure him, "But that's all in the past now: and please don't think that I have to come first before anyone else you care about. I sensed the connection you had to Ashley the minute I 'returned', and not just because of what happened when I wasn't here..."
Ravage merely huffed,
"This boy and his family mean something to you: I can sense the kindred spirit you share with him, and I can sense the mutual respect you have for her" he smiled down at Morri, "The three of you share an understanding that's rare among telepaths and non-telepaths, and it's not something to take for granted: don't think that you have to choose between the bond, and what lays beyond it. Because having friends like these is a true gift, and one, that very few are blessed with"
Ravage jumped out of his arms and back onto the berth: he approached Morri with his head bowed down, and nudged her in the shoulder: she smiled and shook her head, and scratched him behind the ear: "He's right you know; and you didn't make the situation worse by not paying attention. So put it out of your mind, okay?"
"Okay" Ravage purred:
"Is he awake yet?" Lazerbeak flew over and perched on the side of the berth.
"He's still out of it: he's so far into unconsciousness that his mind isn't stirring: he's not in a coma, and yet..."
"What?" John pressed him,
As Ravage telepathically scanned Ashley's brain, he got the distinct impression that something was off: "...Have you checked his energy levels yet?" he looked up at Ratchet.
"No, not yet" the medic replied: activating the scanners in his optics, Ratchet noticed straight away that something was wrong with the boy's internal systems: activating the main scanner that hung over the berth, the machine flashed red warning signs across its main monitor as it scanned him: "-Primus!" the medic gasped as he rushed to the nearby counter, and grabbed something out of the drawer.
"What's wrong?!" John panicked,
"His blood-sugar levels are dangerously low: I have to get fast-acting carbohydrates into him before he crashes completely" the medic explained as he quickly prepped an IV bag and intravenous needle. Having overheard everything, Mikaela took that as her cue to step in and help: after running and jumping the gap between the berth and the counter-top, she rushed to Ashley's side, was handed the needle, found a suitable vein on the back of his hand, and carefully inserted the needle in. Holding the bag steady and keeping the scanner trained on Ashley, Ratchet watched the scanner's monitor as the fluid entered his bloodstream, got carried up to his slow-beating heart, and began to distribute all over his body through the complex network of blood vessels.
"Is he okay?" Danny worried,
"Hopefully," Ratchet cautiously sighed, "I don't know how in Primus's name that happened? His blood-scan was fine this morning, and he's not diabetic"
"So why'd his blood-sugar crash like that?" Mikaela thought aloud as she finished programming the IV pump, and adjusting the drip chamber.
"...I don't know" was all Ratchet could say as he set up a pole, and hung the bag from one of the hooks, "But I will find out; we'll keep him in the med-bay for observation. Mikaela, once you're finished with the IV, get a berth ready for him in the isolation unit: I need to get back to the command center to help get the power back on. The back-up batteries aren't going to last forever" he stated as he wiped his hands on a fresh rag, and turned to leave the room.
", I'll be back in ten minutes" Mikaela told everyone as she finished her work, got up, and moved to the edge of the berth "...John?" she grabbed the elder Brigg's attention, "He's gonna be okay: he's a tough kid"
"That he is" he nodded as he tenderly brushed the back of his hand down the side of Ashley's head, pushing his hair back from out of his face.
Sensing John's exhaustion, both mentally and physically: Soundwave stepped forward and offered: "Listen, I can stay here and keep and optic him: if you want to go and replenish your fuel levels?"
"I don't want to leave him" John sighed, "What if he wakes up?"
"We'll comm you. I can sense your fatigue: and you'll be no good to anyone if something happens and you're in no fit shape to help" the communications officer pointed out.
"It's okay uncle Johny" Tom laid a hand on his shoulder, "I'll stay here with him"
"You' sure lad?"
"It's no problem, really"
Now that things had calmed down and the danger was past, for the first time, John could feel just how exhausted he was; more than anything his hunger and thirst was telling him he needed food and water. Going up against those brain-washed cons had taken more out of him than he realized: and although his focus was set solely on Ashley, the practical part of his brain was telling him he needed to refuel and rest, if only for a short time. He didn't want to leave his son; his paternal instincts forbade him to think of anything else: but still, his hungry wouldn't leave him...
"...I won't be long; promise" he said as he got up, and climbed down from the berth.
'Go check on him' Morri heard Ravage's smooth deep voice echo through the front of her mind: turning to the panther-drone, she heard him again: 'He needs someone to talk to; go after him'
As John left the room, Morri quickly took off after him; "Where's she going?" Tom frowned,
Outside the med-bay, Morri soon caught up to John as he paced down the dark corridor. He knew it was her, he knew the sound of her footfalls anywhere: but this time, he didn't stop. "What?" he asked in a slightly curt tone.
Hearing said tone and knowing that wasn't a good sign, Morri readied herself for whatever might happen next: "Are you okay?"
"Is that even supposed to be a question?" he frowned as he carried on walking, "After everything that's happened today, how the hell am I supposed to be okay?!"
"I didn't mean-", she ran ahead of him, and forced him to stop by pushing him back a little, "Will you stop?!-"
He stopped: and although it was near-pitch black, the two of them could make out each other well enough to look each other in the eye: "No, today has not been okay: it's been utterly insane! And my brain's still reeling! But I have to know if my uncle's still in one piece!" she vented at him, before curbing her tone, "...I'm worried for Ashley too you know? Despite everything going on around us, I'm still worried, I just-, can't afford to take my eye off the ball just yet"
Hearing the frustration in her voice, and realizing she was in just as much of a panic as he was: John calmed himself, and let a sigh of regret leave his lips. It wasn't fair to get upset at her for what had happened: "...I'm sorry..." he quietly spoke, "I'm just-...
"I know..." she laid a hand on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug: "...I'm scared too" she admitted,
"I don't know what to do?" John admitted as he hugged her back, "I knew, he was different with these new powers an' all: but this? ...What does it mean?"
"I don't know either?" she admitted, swallowing the lump in her throat, "This whole day has just been one crazy thing after another; and it's not even lunchtime yet," she couldn't help but smile: pulling out of the hug, she looked him in the eye, and stated, "...Look: I don't know what's going to happen, and to tell you the truth, I have a bad feeling it's about to get even dicier; but whatever happens, I'm willing to push on just that little bit further, if you are"
"Fair deal" he smiled, "Hungry?"
"Starving" she smiled, and together, they left for the rec-room, using the torch-light on her CTG to navigate the darkness.
At the same time, somewhere in LA:
The loud thunderclap outside the facility was what alerted her to the presence of the teleporting seeker: the staff manning the security cameras confirmed it when they pointed out that he was back; and he wasn't alone...
Sounding the all-clear and opening the main doors: Amy stepped outside into the underground parking lot, flanked by her security detail. Seeing Skywarp standing there by the entrance of the parking lot on the next level above, he didn't move or speak, as she cautiously approached him.
"What're you doing back here?" she fretted,
The seeker looked down at his large digigrade feet, as Darren and Jeanie stepped around them, with Josie between them; both her arms around their necks, using them to help her stay upright.
Amy gasped as she ran to her sister: seeing the older blond woman running towards her, Josie instantly began to perk up as she recognized her immediately: "Amy?"
"Josie?!" Amy cried, so happy to see her as she gently hugged her little sister. "Amy" Josie smiled weakly, as she wrapped her bruised and bandaged arms around her.
For a long moment, the sisters stood there in each others embrace, oblivious to the world around them, as they both savored this moment of reunion. Too long had they been apart from each other, and as Josie smiled and cried tears of true happiness: Darren allowed himself to feel relief; glad that this hadn't turned out to be a trap after all. As the knot in his stomach untied, he couldn't help but smile, as they pulled out of their hug, and turned to face him. "...Thank you" Amy smiled,
"That's okay," Darren smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "But, this wasn't my call"
The smile faded from Amy's face: "What?" she wiped the tears from her eyes,
"You'll have to forgive us: we didn't come here just to return your sister to you" Skywarp stated frankly,
"...Of course not" Josie remembered what she said earlier, "I promised that if you returned Amy to me, I'd make it worth your while," she motioned to one of her men to go back inside: the guard on her left side nodded, and ran back in through the main doors,
"It's not just that..." a deep basso voice sounded from behind them, turning to see who it was, Amy and the guards nearly jumped when they saw the huge frame of Optimus Prime standing in the darkened doorway of the next parking lot; stepping into the light, he kneeled down to be closer to them, and continued: "...I have questions that need answering"
Looking up at him, a cold flush ran up Josie's spine: as suddenly, the memories of Mission city came back with terrifying clarity. For a brief moment she froze, as if expecting something awful to happen again; but she suddenly snapped out of it, when she felt Amy's hand holding her's, and not letting go.
"It's okay Josie" Amy smiled, "He's not here to hurt us" she looked up at him,
Josie didn't know what to say, except: "...You'll-, forgive me, if I have mixed feelings, about seeing you"
"I understand," Optimus quietly nodded, "...I learnt of what happened to you both in Mission City: and for that, I will never forgive myself. The least I can do, is ensure you are together again"
"...Thank you" Josie bowed her head: she was uneasy, given what this Autobot and 'that other cybertronian' had done; but she held no resentment towards him, and given the fact that he returned her sister to her, she owed him.
"You said you have questions" Amy changed the subject,
"Who are you working for?" Optimus asked in a serious tone,
Amy looked up at him in shock: the surprised look on her face confirmed to him that it was true; knowing it was pointless to deny it, she sighed in frustration: "...Not working for, working with. Let's just say, there are certain parties that know of Broadsword, and are aware of the threat they pose; not just to NEST"
"...How dangerous are they?" the Prime continued,
"Enough that you and your Autobots are in very serious danger" Amy replied; the guard returned with something in his hand, and handed it to her. "I can't say anymore than that: except that, you are the only ones who have any chance of stopping them"
"And how do we do that?" Darren asked offhand,
"With this, hopefully" she handed him a black USB stick, "When I stumbled upon the inconsistencies in my father's accounting, I made secret copies of everything I found. A lot of it was dubious, and would have warranted a full investigation if the FBI had gotten involved... However, the files on this drive, hint at something much more ominous; far bigger, than anything even the CIA would be able to handle by themselves. I don't know if it'll be enough, but it's a starting point"
"Thank you" Darren put the USB into his pocket.
"No, thank you, for doing this" she smiled,
"Where will you go?" Optimus asked offhand,
"Somewhere we can be sisters again" Amy smiled; "Yes; and somewhere Broadsword will never find you" Josie smiled back.
"I wish you both the best of luck, and thank you," Optimus bowed his head, and got back up, "Wherever you go: may you be happy together, for the rest of your days" he added, and before Josie could ask where he was going, Skywarp fired up his teleport matrix, and in a flash of white light, the seeker, Prime, and the two youngsters were gone.
"That's pretty cool" Amy smiled,
"I suppose?" Josie nodded, as she locked her arm around Amy's and lead her inside the base, "Now, come with me, we've got a lot of catching up to do"
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Amy asked offhand,
"Oh, I'm sure our paths may cross again, one day: but for now, I'm just happy to have you back"
"I missed you big sissy" Amy smiled
"Me too, lil 'sissy" Josie smiled,
Back at the base, Darren smiled up at Trailbreaker, who'd been patiently waiting for him: "How'd it go?" he asked as he placed him up on his shoulder.
"Okay" Darren smiled, "That's one problem taken care of..." the smile left his face, as he pulled out the USB stick, and looked it over: "And now, onto another..."
"Indeed" Optimus came up alongside them, "As soon as the power's back on, I want you to look over that drive Darren"
"Not a problem" he frowned as he placed the USB in the breast pocket of his uniform, and zipped it shut.
Present:
The base was way busier than before: between trying to repair the damage from the fight, getting the power back up and running, and seeing to the wounded: the Autobots couldn't spare time for anyone as they went about their duties. As she watched the flurry of activity from her perch atop one of the ridges overlooking the open-air hanger, with the Black Solstus still hovering in place at the edges of the canyon, Hailey was lost in her thoughts as Bluestreak approached, and sat down next to her on a large bolder.
At first, Bluestreak was apprehensive to talk, which was very unusual for him, considering what a chatter-box he usually was: but this time, he knew that this wasn't an easy subject to talk about. For so long, he'd felt like a brother to the Waineright sisters, they made him part of their family: a privilege he felt both honored and humbled to be made a part of. He'd been there for them at the best of times, and the worst of times...
But this? ...This was, one of the very worst times...
He didn't know what could be done to make this better, if at all? Maybe there was nothing that could be done? After all, you don't get to choose your family, or where you come from. But despite all that, he still cared about her, and he knew her: so it wasn't too difficult for him to open his mouth-plates, and break the silence by asking: "...Are you okay?"
"...Kinda?" she shrugged her shoulders in a subdued tone, "I'm not angry, if that's what your worried about?"
"No it's just-... Bluestreak hesitated, before feeling really uncomfortable; "Your mom-, filled me in about happened, down in the command center?"
"...And...?" she continued to watch the view,
"...I totally understand if you don't want to talk about it," he added sheepishly, "But, when you came outta the entrance, and attacked Josie the way you did; what happened there?"
Thinking back on it, Hailey couldn't explain it herself: where did that anger really come from? Sure, Bluestreak was in danger and about a hair's breadth away from certain death: that was understandable if not obvious, but at the back of her mind, Hailey got the feeling it was something else. Something she couldn't put her finger on: but had an idea, on the reason for it's being: "...I guess I was angry at Ruth"
"Your grandmother?"
"Despite everything going on, and all that shit Lawrence palmed off. She was at the heart of it, all the way through. Everything dad said, everything Lawrence said: she's the reason they came together like this, and the reason I nearly got kicked outta NEST"
"Come on, we'd have never have let you get kicked out for something so stupid" Bluestreak assured her with an uneasy smile,
"Thanks" she smiled up at him, before turning serious again, "...But she was behind this. I don't know what her game is, but I refuse to be any part of it"
"And the fact she knows about NEST is really disconcerting" the gunner added, "If she's really as bad as Lawrence said she is, then she has to be dealt with"
Hailey looked up at him blankly, with what he could only interpreted as dread in her eyes: "Dealt with?...If she really was willing to let a pedophile get away with rapping children? Getting away with murder? Behind closed doors, for the sake of keeping her family's image untarnished? She needs to be put in the deepest darkest hole, and never let out..." the venom in her voice spoke of the depth of hatred she held for the woman,
Another long silence passed between them, before Hailey spoke again: "You know? I can't help but find it ironic...All my life, dad told me it's no use running away from your problems, because no matter how fast you run, they always catch up to you..."
"You think your dad should have stayed in Washington? And faced them head on?"
"No..." she thought about it: "...It's just-, I've got a bad feeling, that when those photos are proven to be fakes, (and let's face it, it'll only be a matter of time): Ruth's going to come after us"
"You're worried about what she'll do?"
"No," Hailey frowned bitterly, "I'm worried about what I'll do, to her... If she really is responsible for Reggie's death, the death of his mom: and worse, getting rid of the President just so Lawrence could take his place, all so she could pull his strings from behind the scenes and do god knows what? ...How the hell, can you be merciful, to someone as evil as that?"
"...Well? Hopefully, Lawrence will put her in her place and sort things out. After all, he is the president, right?"
In the pit of her gut, Hailey got the feeling it wouldn't work out like that: and although she didn't know how, or if it would even be possible, she had a bad feeling Lawrence wouldn't be as successful as everyone was expecting him to be. As her thoughts of the worse-case scenario began to prey on her mind, Hailey was suddenly snapped out of her musings by the approach of the Ainsley sisters and cousins, and their respective guardians, followed closely by Becca and Becky.
"What are you guys doing up here?" she blinked in surprise as she stood up to face them,
"Coming to see how you're holding up?" Chelsea smiled as they stopped next to Bluestreak. Max anxiously stepped forward with her arms folded, wearing an unsure look on her face: "...Umm? ...Listen, about what happened today; I'm sorry about, blurting that shit out in front of your folks. I-, shouldn't have done that"
"It's okay" Hailey sighed,
"No, it's not okay!," Roxy huffed as she folded her arms, "All that shit your old man had to deal with, all because his idiot brother was trying keep him safe from his uncle kiddie-fiddler: when his mom should have been the one to keep them both safe from him... If it were my kid, they wouldn't even find his body!"
"I'm sure they wouldn't" Hailey smiled weakly,
"Look, long and short of it," Lizzy interjected sheepishly, "Any shit that comes your way in the future? It won't be from us: and given everything that's happened today, you so don't deserve it. That and, we're sorry about, you know? That shit that happened before Lawrence got here?"
"Thanks" Hailey smiled, "But you know? You don't have to apologize for anything" she turned to Max, "I'm the one who asked you to go digging around Lawrence's background: I just-...Didn't think it was going to be as fucked up as all that"
"It's not just that," Max interjected, "I kinda overstepped my mark in the whole back-ground check thing...Most of the time, I don't have any issues with trawling through people's privet stuff online; I did so much of it when I ran with Eddy's crew, I just wasn't fazed when you asked me. And, don't get me wrong, there are all kinds of fucked up weirdos online, and you never know who they are...But, the fact one of them has a blood relation to someone you know? That's even more fucked up. And it's totally outta your hands"
"I know" Hailey thought aloud, "...Look...The fact my dad's uncle is-, what he is: is hard enough to comprehend. But it's my dad who's got to live with that fact, as well as everything else that came out today...I don't know what we're going to do, or how we're gonna deal with it. But we've got to; we ain't got much choice"
"What about going after your grandma? There're some black-hats I know who could really make life difficult for her, if you want I could give them a call and ask for a favor?" Max offered,
"Thanks" Hailey waved off, "But, let's wait and see what Lawrence does"
"You really think a whipped bitch like him, is going to grow a set of ball, just like that?" Roxy sceptically raised an eyebrow, "Call me sceptical, but how do you know she hasn't got anything up her sleeve?"
"...I don't" Hailey shrugged, "All we can do is hope he has the courage to do the right thing"
"And if he doesn't?" Rosy pressed her,
"Then we'll just have do something about it. Won't we?" Lizzy smiled wickedly,
"I think, getting you guys to help would be overkill" Hailey smiled, to which everyone laughed: "Listen, whatever happens, we got your back" Chelsea smiled.
"Thanks" Hailey smiled.
As the group headed back to the base together, Roxy suddenly caught sight of Darren standing near the edge of the canyon: sitting on a rock, seemingly staring off into nothingness. "Uh, you guys go on ahead, I'll catch up" she waved as she ran off.
Approaching her younger cousin from behind, Roxy was anxious about what she wanted to say. But given what had happened today, it didn't feel right to just leave it hanging in the air. Hearing her footsteps, Darren scooted over to one side of the rock, allowing her space to sit down next to him.
"Pretty crazy day huh?" Darren offered a weak smile,
"...Is this how it always is?" she asked frankly, doing her best not to let her anxiousness show: "I mean, when can we expect the next shit-loada fuckery to kick up? Tomorrow? Next week?"
"Who knows?" Darren shrugged, "If you want out, that's okay: this life isn't for everyone"
Another long pause followed, before Darren admitted: "...Listen...I'm sorry about this morning, and, about all that shit I let out"
"I kinda had it coming," Roxy reluctantly replied, "What you said? All of it was true, and I have no excuses...I'm not a people person, and when I do try to handle them, I fuck it up, real bad. It's not about control, it never was; it was just...easier to keep everyone away: than to risk making friends, only for them to let you down...But, that's not the case here: not in this place" she gestured to the base,
"No" Darren sighed, "You've seen firsthand: we need each other survive, making a big deal over the little pointless things is not an option: you can't go through life continuously missing the big picture...Which is what I did for most of my life: at times I would get so caught up in the shit you used to pull on me, that I missed everything, and I completely missed the point...Being caught by the CIA and sent here was the best thing that ever happened to me, it taught me to let go of all the things that don't matter...including you"
She gazed at him in surprise, listening as he continued: "I don't care what happens next, whatever kind of shit comes our way: I don't want to have to spend my time explaining to you what, why and how...It doesn't matter if you don't get it, that's okay, I'm just asking, that you understand that this is what I chose to do, and I accept all the risks and dangers that come with it"
"I do" she nodded; now it was Darren's turn to be surprised: "And...I think you're pretty brave to do it...What happened this morning: can we just move on from that?"
"...Sure" Darren smiled: completely taken aback, but he didn't question it, he just decided to roll with it. "...So? Does this mean you don't want to go home?"
"And let Veebee have all the fun? Hell no!" Roxy grinned, "You know? Scary as this is: its actually, kinda interesting to be doing something totally different; I don't have to like all of it, but it sure beats working in a Starbucks"
"Beats working outta mom and dad's basement" Darren threw in, "And for what it's worth: you did real good out there. The next time I need some serious muscle, I want you to be there"
"Really?" Roxy frowned, "But, I don't handle every situation the way you do"
"And that's the point" Darren smiled, "If we were all the same nothing would work. Okay, you don't make the best Dr Phil, that's Jeanie's thing: you're not a born prankster, that's Lizzy's shtick. And computers aren't your strong suit either. But what you do have, is attitude, and the balls and guts to back it up: if diplomacy fails and shit goes down, I can't think of anyone else I'd have to make sure my butt gets out in one piece"
"...You really mean that?" Roxy blinked in surprise.
"Look: growing up, there was a lot about you I didn't like (for all the obvious reasons); but despite everything you said and did, you never let anyone push you around or take advantage of you. You were the only girl in high school who ever made all the moves, because all the guys knew that if they tried to approach you the wrong way, they'd end up in hospital"
"That's for damn sure" she nodded, "But seriously...you really mean that?"
"Hey if I didn't, you'd be throwing me off the cliff by now"
"Good point" Roxy realized with a smile,
As the two cousins continued to talk: Optimus couldn't help but smile as he watched them finally reach an understanding between each other. "They're actually talking?" Majestrix raised a quizzical optical ridge, as she came up alongside her brother, and gazed down at the young humans: "...Finally, I thought she'd never listen to reason"
"It's easy to overlook someone's potential for good, when they are out of balance with themselves" Optimus mused, "You were no different, once"
"That is true" she nodded, before changing the subject "...I'm sorry for my absence; and before anything else happens, there's something I urgently need to tell you" she tapped the side of her helm, indicating she was about to send him a data-burst,
Optimus nodded, and as said data-burst came through, he frowned in confusion, before a look of dread filled his optics,
Elsewhere, somewhere inside the base:
As Blackshot watched the live feed of Optimus and Majestrix standing near the edge of the canyon, her mind began to turn with anticipation: they were not talking vocally; they must be using their comms: that could only mean they were discussing something they didn't want anyone else to overhear.
The hour was nearing, all the prep work had been completed: now all that was left to do, was execute the plan.
As she offlined the feed, she stood there in the darkness for the longest moment, contemplating on all that had happened leading up to this moment, and all that was yet to come, as a consequence of it. In her mind's eye, everything seemed so clear: everything she'd done was for the right reasons, and she was justified in her actions. No one had the right to say she was anything but a loyal Autobot: loyal to Cybertron, loyal to her species, loyal only, to the preservation of life...
"Who the slag do you think you're kidding?!" a familiar voice snapped behind her,
Blackshot's energon ran cold, coupled with the anger that threatened to boil over: as she turned to face her sister, "... I thought I told you to stay out of this?" she seethed,
"You know that's not an option" Swiftshot frowned, "You know that as long as we share a spark, we are bound to each other, forever"
"What better Autobot to have at my side, when I bring New Cybertron into existence?" Blackshot smiled, "And when I execute the traitors for their treachery, your daughter will be the first in line to be culled from the ranks: least I have the burden of a weak-willed niece to contend with for the rest of my life"
"You know that's not going to happen; they won't allow it: and neither will I"
"And just what is it you're going to do, exactly?" Blackshot mocked as she punched the apparition of her sister in the face.
The blue femme was gone; she was never there...
"...I've come too far and sacrificed too many to turn back now," Blackshot frowned as she produced a stasis collar from her sub-space, and placed it around her neck: "Mercy and compromise be damned: there's no such thing as progress without hecatomb: if you want to ensure the future, you have to be willing to go all the way to the pit and back again; because there is, no other way...And the only way to ensure our future, is nothing less, than the extinction of humanity"
: We're ready on our end: Longrange commed
: Us too, we're ready when you are: Shadowstar commed
"...Then let us begin..." Blackshot smiled.
Oh hell, O_O shit's about to get real thunder-dome-kinda tense!
Well, aside from the epilogue, this is where we leave NEST. I had to break the story up into two because it would just be to much, that and, I really wanted to keep Josie and Amy separate in terms of the focus of the story. The next installment, well? I think we can all guess as to where it's going, and suffice to say, it's going to be a thrill-ride to say the least. Keep your eye on the ball, cuz you won't want to miss a trick! ;)
See you all next time peeps, hope you enjoyed Small Mercies, and stay tuned for chapter 7 of the TiFC saga, The Dominoes Fall, bye-bye!