Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.
Epilogue
Tranquility, a short time later:
"Okay: change of clothes, toothbrushes, and cash" Jason repeated for the umpteenth time as he pulled up into the driveway of his house, and got out of the car.
"Should be enough, shouldn't it?" Beverly thought aloud as she got her house keys out of her purse, and went to unlock the back door. The tall hedgerows that lined the Waineright's property afforded the couple some privacy, not that there were many neighbors home at this hour of the day; but still, one never knows who might be watching. So they decided to make their trip home as brief as possible: dash in, grab only the bare essentials, and get out quick.
But as she approached the back door: Beverly noticed one of the plant pots was slightly out of place next to the steps; her heart clenched inside her chest, as she remembered that's the pot they hide the spare house key under...
"Jason" she gasped, as she pointed to said pot. Noticing the pot, Jason paused, and cautiously peered in through the kitchen window.
To his astonishment and complete surprise: there, sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper, was a gentleman he'd never seen before. He looked to be middle-aged/going on a bit, as his hair and mustache were silver, his clean clothes and well-kept sense of dress suggested he was no homeless beggar or drug-addicted thief, and it didn't look like he was in a rush to try and get out.
Incredulous by his sheer audacity, Jason swung the door open, and stormed into the kitchen: ready to see this cocky so-and-so off with a swift ass kicking. Beverly stayed at his back, keeping her eye on the phone next to the refrigerator, ready to make a dash to it and call 911 if something happened.
"Ah good, your home" the man smiled in a broad British accent, as if genuinely delighted to see them both.
"Who the hell are you?!" Jason fumed as he balled his fists, (of all the kinds of people to want to break into his home, why an English guy? He thought offhand in confusion)
"Terry Finley, MI6" he reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID to show them: then folded the newspaper away and got up from the table: "I'm here on behalf of her Majesty's secret service to take you both into protective custody"
Both Jason and Beverly glanced at each other in bewilderment: "...What?!"
"I'm here to-
"-I heard what you said," Jason was quick to clarify, "Why the hell couldn't you wait for us to come home, and let you in like a normal person?!"
"Sorry, but I'm afraid that wasn't an option" Terry turned serious, "First of all: hiding your spare key under the gerberas isn't a good idea. That's how those two got in..." Terry pointed to the door leading to the hallway. Stepping into the hall, Jason and Beverly gasped in shock when they saw two large men in black suits and ties: bound, gagged and unconscious, slumped over each other at the bottom of the staircase. "And secondly, they were in a hurry to tranquilize and kidnap you both,"
They both stared at him in alarm, "What the hell's going on?" Beverly fretted,
"I'm afraid," he regretfully explained, "Things are about to take a rather nasty turn for the worst. But before I explain why: I want you both to know that you'll be in safe hands, and we'll do everything we can to ensure your safety"
"Our safety? Why? What's going on?" Jason demanded,
"As of now Mr Waineright, you and your wife are the targets of an above-classified black-ops military unit, that wishes to use you as bait to draw out the Autobots. Namely your daughter and their guardian"
Jason's heart skipped a beat: "...You know our girls?"
"Yes, and believe me, right now they're far safer at NEST than out here" Terry explained, "You two on the other hand, are in serious danger..."
The sound of a car pulling up in front of the house drew Terry's attention, looking out the window, he recognized the driver: "That's our ride, we need to move"
Glancing down at the men, both parents fretted; "Don't worry about them: I've arranged for someone to come round and 'take care' of them"
"What about my girls? They're going to realize something's wrong if we don't get back to the base!" Beverly panicked,
A look of worry flashed through Terry's eyes briefly, as he sighed, "...Trust me, they've got bigger problems to deal with right now"
Somewhere in Washington DC:
"Finally, we were beginning to wonder what happened to you" Berger smiled as he watched the live feed from where he sat at the huge long table.
"Report" one of the general's ordered curtly,
: Things have taken a rather drastic turn,: Silas stated, : the power within the base is still out, all the prototypes were destroyed in the fight, and the Briggs boy's 'condition' has revealed a new form:
"We know" Berger raised a quizzical eyebrow, "We saw the whole thing; what's his current condition?"
: Unconscious and confined to the isolation unit in the med-bay: Silas digressed, : But it's what's going to happen next, that should provide us with the opportunity we need:
"Oh we're already on that" Berger smiled, "Hallo is meeting with her as we speak. Lawrence's device wasn't detected, I hope?"
: They didn't even pick up the command signal; with all the static Circuit breaker was putting out, it would have seemed no different to all the background noise already present...I'm just amazed no one thought to scan him; we'd have been compromised then:
"The important thing is, the asset is safe, and on his way back to Washington. In future we must be careful to restrict his travel plans; make sure he's nowhere the device could be exposed" Berger suggested.
"Agreed" one of the other gentlemen nodded,
"Anyway, we'll have everything ready to go by the time you get back. All you need to do now, is remove yourself from the situation at NEST, and get out of there. Before Blackshot executes her plan"
: Getting out is not the problem: Silas stated, : Getting Blackshot out of the way, is going to be quite problematic:
"Considering how high she's about to raise the stakes? I'd say she'd be lucky if she even gets out of there alive, considering what she's got planned for the earth" Berger shrugged, "they won't let her succeed. They can't"
"But it will come at a cost," one of the general's pointed out: "Rendering them emotionally compromised could provoke them to make certain choices they wouldn't normally make. And that's what we need"
"Your first priority is to get out of there and to return to Broadsword: but if the opportunity presents itself, see what you can do to stoke the fires a bit?"Berger ordered.
: I'll do what I can, but I can't make any promises: Silas replied, :...I take it Galloway will be dealt with?:
Everyone in the room stilled, the mention of that name raised their hackles somewhat:
Flashback:
As a satisfactory smile crossed his face: Beller beckoned Galloway to come closer, as he quietly suggested: "But I have an idea that could work for us both"
"How'd you mean?" Galloway asked, curious as to where this was going
"You need an excuse, and I need to get pay-back" Beller replied, as he leaned in closer, and whispered in Galloway's ear...
"Don't talk, just shut up and listen. I know you're working with Hallo: he's promised you the Autobots on a silver platter; problem is, you won't get to see it...See, Hallo is part of a group of 'entrepreneurs', that have a vested interest in wanting to take over the world, and seeing the Autobots turned into their own personal attack dogs...I just got denied my place at that table: and no one, ever says no to me..."
He discreetly reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cell-phone: shoving it into Galloway's hand,
"This isn't a real cell-phone, it's a specialized jamming device used to interrupt low-frequency signals...These entrepreneurs? They have agent's everywhere: they've taken great time and care to get the right people killed or under their thrall. Blackmail and bribery's no hundred percent guarantee, so they turned to using, shall we say? Certain neurological devices, that when implanted in the brain, can control a person the same way a puppeteer controls a puppet...And who do you think, out of all the most powerful, influential people in the world, would be the best one to have at your disposal?"
Galloway suddenly got a cold knot in his stomach: "...You don't mean it's-
"-But of course it's him: he is, the ruler of the free world after all...And you're going to be at his side, all the while he's at NEST..." he purred,
"... What the hell?! ..." Galloway nervously stammered, realizing he was now way out of his depth,
"You don't have to do anything, other than make sure you use that phone; the rest will take care of itself" Beller smiled maniacally: Galloway pulled away, and stared at him in complete horror: "What the hell is going on?" he demanded,
"Sometimes" Beller continued to smile, "It's not about getting something out of revenge; it's about making sure your enemies get nothing"
Present:
"Galloway will no longer be a concern" Berger frowned sternly, "Or alive"
: Very well, tell Red to send out the order; I'll be back within six hours: Silas replied before signing off, : Silas out:
The room fell silent for moment, before one of the younger gentlemen spoke up: "What do you suppose Beller meant by that?"
Berger didn't look up, as he stared at the glass of whiskey on the table in front of him: "Whatever plan he had in mind, it didn't go as he expected...But then, he was never very good at planning in the long term. He tried to live up to his father's high expectations; but in the end his ego grew too big for this organization. Patience and persistence have been the key to our success, our forbears had to wait a lifetime to bring us to this moment, and even now, we're still a long way off from reaching our ultimate goal..." he glanced down the table at the senator, who was more than aware all eyes were on her; as if in denial, she refused to meet their stare: "We can't afford to accommodate personal ambition: that's not what Prometheus was founded upon"
The senator didn't bat an eyelid, as she coolly replied: "If that's your way of telling me I was wrong to let him go, then you might as well say it straight"
"You letting him go?!" one of the other gentlemen exclaimed in disbelief: "You practically strong-armed us into kicking him out! Forget the fact we took a formal vote!"
"I didn't like Beller anymore than you did: but that didn't give you the right to call the shots over our protocols" one of the general's pointed out, "You overstepped your mark, and because of that, Galloway is now a liability"
"We were going to replace him sooner or later: big deal" the senator waved off curtly, "And besides; if it wasn't for me, Beller was going to screw up sooner or later. He wasn't able to convince Sector 7 to hand Megatron over, or procure the dead Decepticons remains before they got tossed into the Atlantic: among one or two other things. He was a weak link, and as you so rightly pointed out; we can't afford to accommodate personal ambition" she smiled,
"That doesn't mean you get to exercise your personal ambition either," Berger scowled: "We made your son the President of the United States of America, because it suites our plans: we allowed you to steal Beller's company right out from under his nose, because it ties in with our plans...Remember, there is no 'I' in 'team', and the only way we will succeed, is if we all work together. Once we achieve our forefather's dream, you can do whatever you damn well please: but before then, you will toe the line, and remember your place within this circle"
For the briefest moment, the senator said nothing: though her face remained stoically cold and unemotional, she regarded Berger with the most despising stare possible; her eyes bore straight into his soul, as if trying to core out his very essence. But the man didn't even blink, he knew how difficult she could be to handle, but at the same time, he knew it was dangerous to cross her. He didn't care: there were rules to abide by, protocols to observe; it was the reason their organization had endured for so long: for the sake of his share in the rewards, he was willing to put up with her; even if it meant having to negotiate her hard-handed approach.
She was, after all, Ruth Waineright: the queen of Washington's political royalty (after the Kennedy's). Nothing less was expected of her; and she knew it...
"Fair enough" she sighed coolly: her hate-stare gone as she reclined in her chair: "Perhaps, I got a little too ahead of myself?" she smiled as she got up from the table: "My apologies gentlemen...Oh; one last thing, Berger?"
"Yes?"
"Antony asked me to send his regards: he told me you enjoyed last night's 'entertainment'? ..." she smiled slyly.
The whole room turned cold and silent: as Berger looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights; the senator enjoyed seeing the fear in his eyes, as she added: "... its one thing to toe the line: but you very easily forget. I didn't join Prometheus because of what I could offer you; I joined for what all of you, could offer me. And I highly recommend that unless you want all of your lives to descend into hell? You will remember, who keeps your secrets safe..."
And with that, she left the room, leaving the rest of meeting uneasy, and uncomfortable; most stared at Berger in astonishment, but the man just sat there, defeated and afraid...
Unbeknownst to everyone in the room: the tiny pin-head sized camera/listening device attached to the chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling: had seen and heard everything...
Watching and listening to everything that had transpired after he offlined his connection to his superiors: Silas frowned in concern: though one wouldn't be able to tell, on account of his mask hiding his face. Both Red and Arkeville frowned in equal unease. :... Of all the things I was expecting from this meeting, I wasn't expecting that: Arkeville thought aloud.
: Spouting that kind of threat is going to get her killed, for sure: Red offered,
: That largely depends on how well she can restrain herself, : Silas pointed out, : The next twenty four hours are going to be critical to Prometheus's success: she knows this, and if she's got any sense she'll stay out of the way and let things progress on their own...Besides: once we've secured the final weapon, she'll be disposable:
: Speaking of which: Arkeville interjected, : How long 'till the coup goes down? :
: Probably less than hour; but I'll use it to my advantage. I need to die anyway; I might as well go out the hero...By the way: how is the back-hack progressing? :
: The new data-copying scripts you procured are really helping to pick up the pace: Red replied, : We're already at 80%, but if we can access the A and B level's firewalls, we can reach 100% within the month:
: Good, by that time we'll be ready to begin the purge: Silas nodded, : Be ready to send an extraction team to my location within an hour:
: Yes sir: Red acknowledged, : see you when you get back:
At the same time: The Pentagon:
"...As you can see, I'm afraid things have started to get out of hand" General Hallo pointed out as he sipped his coffee,
" 'Started to get out of hand' is an understatement general," the woman sitting across from him frowned, as she read through the report, "And Galloway allowed the kids to stay on the base?!"
"Like I said," He explained awkwardly, "There were 'exceptional circumstances': certain terms and conditions the Autobots set, for the sake of the children's so-called 'welfare'... Needless to say: it's starting to cause some minor issues with the paperwork"
"And Bishop was okay with this?!" she fumed, "Of all the professionals, I never expected him to go soft"
"From what I gathered: I think he's grown too attached to them. This 'idea' that the Autobots and their younger human friends have formed a unique team-dynamic that works: is simply too far-fetched. Their combat expertise is flawless, and their experience and knowledge in all known forms of warfare is non-expendable. We need that in order to keep this country safe; but these children? They've haven't even seen real combat, never mind holding and shooting a gun. Some of them got kidnapped by these 'Insecticon's' some weeks back, and the rescue party that went out to get them back got into worse trouble when their leader got kidnapped by this 'Barkiss' character," he gestured to the profile of said character on the desk.
"To put it simply, the Autobots are becoming too much of a liability: they go out of their way to help their little friends on bended knee, taking up valuable time and resources: they've broken protocol on numerous occasions: all with Bishop vouching for them. And now, they've destroyed five billion dollars worth of new combat technology. Technology, they believe, we have no right to possess..." Hallo gravely stated,
The woman regarded him with a serious look.
", To put it bluntly director Mearing: we believe the Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, has allowed the original agreement we reached with the Autobots to fall by the wayside, and become superfluous...I didn't want to do this, but they've left me no choice but to bring Project Broadsword into the picture..."
"You did absolutely the right thing general," Mearing nodded, "This situation needs a strong hand to guide it back in the right direction. And per the President's request, I would be delighted to take up the position of director of NEST" she smiled,
"That's excellent, we can have the paperwork signed up in time for next week" the general smiled,
"Next week?" she gasped, "Oh no, not on my watch: as of right now: we're getting to work and clearing out house. Those giant layabouts and their little freeloaders are going to get a wake-up call they won't forget"
As the woman ranted on about how she was going to 'set NEST straight': the general couldn't stop a smile from tugging the corners of his mouth.
Elsewhere in the Pentagon:
The General nearly knocked his glass of scotch off the desk, as the door to his office flew open, and Maggie Madsen strode in at a quick pace.
"Miss Madsen?!" he got up from his chair, "What the hell is the meaning of-
"-I'm sorry to barge in, but this couldn't wait!-" she stated in a fluster: opening her bag, she handed him a large file full of papers: "This isn't something I could talk about over the phone either,"
"What is this?" he frowned, taking the file and flicking through its contents.
"The investigation into Galloway's clearance...I originally thought it might be something to do with an insider handing him data way above his pay-grade...But it's not, it's something else entirely" she explained, trying to keep her mind straight.
As he read through the file, the information therein got his attention, and not in a good way. But it was when he reached a certain piece of data concerning Project Broadsword, that alarm bells started to go off in his mind: "This is accurate?" he demanded in equal worry.
"I double-checked everything sir. I didn't leave anything to chance" she began to panic, "If this information is true, what the hell do we do?!"
Closing the file, Moshower raked his mind, all while trying to keep his cool; of all the things to crop up in this investigation, he wasn't expecting this. He had to make a judgement call: a lot of lives could be hanging in the balance because of this development.
"Oh god! If they know I'm onto them they'll-
-They won't," he interjected, "...Take a seat and don't go anywhere. I need to make a call..."
Heading through to the smaller room next door to his office, Moshower locked the door, and taking a key out of his breast pocket, unlocked the top drawer of the desk sitting in corner. Inside, there was a small cell-phone; he took it out, scrolled through the list of contacts, and selected the one with no name.
He pressed the phone to his ear, waiting as the dial tone repeated itself several times: before finally, the person at the other end of the line picked up: "It's me...I need to speak to her..."
Another brief wait as the line was transferred to the person in question, : It's me, what's happened?: the female voice replied,
"I just received a report concerning our 'mutual friend'; Broadsword is going to move in on NEST within the next twenty four hours," he replied, "And it gets worse...The report confirms that the president's death was not by natural causes. He was murdered..."
The End...for now...
Aaaaaaand that's where we leave it!
Thank you for joining us on this whirlwind installment of the TiFC saga, and be sure to stay tuned for chapter 7: The Dominoes Fall. I can promise you, shit is going to hit the fan in more ways than one!
Hope you enjoyed, and remember to R&R before clicking off. cheers!